Reconstruction
by myEleison
Summary: No one foresaw the horrible demise of their homes, but two lonely survivors find solace in each other and seek to rebuild what they had lost. Together.
1. Naruto I

_"Through our suffering, we will rebuild."_

* * *

The boy balanced the chair on its back legs as he laid his feet on the desk. His arms crossed behind his neck, acting as a pillow to his head. He wore a headband with the word 'oil' on it.

He looked at a missing person file from a couple years ago. Someone named after the village he resided in, Konohagakure. Most people called it Konoha. The missing boy was the late Third Hokage's son. His age wasn't there, nor was a picture

In front of the boy and on the other side of the room, a tired man opened the double doors. Despite his older age and his long, white hair, he had a built body of a burly forty-year-old. His wore his usual attire, a comfortable outfit of red and green.

The boy looked up from the report. "Yo, Jiraiya."

"Skipping again, Naruto?"

"Left a shadow clone."

Jiraiya rubbed his face and eyes. "I wish you had never looked at that Scroll."

"Maybe you should have locked it somewhere, then I wouldn't have been able to look at it."

"Such a smartass," Jiraiya said as he walked to the cabinet that stood behind the desk. He pulled out a drawer and grabbed a file. "What you looking at?"

"Missing report from a few years ago. Who's this Konohamaru?"

"Him? He grew up as an orphan while his uncle was at the Fire Temple. He had had a hard life, and out of nowhere, he left when he was six."

"Six? Says here his parents died during the nine tails attack!"

Jiraiya furrowed his eyebrow, "That's not right because his parents were Anbu members and died shortly after his birth." Naruto handed him the file.

As he read the file himself, Naruto leaned in the chair and balanced it again. "You knew them?"

"I didn't, that's just what I heard. Where'd you find this, anyway?"

"In the closest. Was looking for... gum."

"Gum? Hm. Well, I will tell you one thing, the kid practically just vanished. Just like the Scroll you were looking for."

Naruto pouted his bottom lip up and ignored his comment. He was only able to learn the one Jutsu before Jiraiya discovered it and took it away.

Jiraiya took the file and placed it in the cabinet he had already opened. Once he pushed it back in, he looked at Naruto, who gave a confused look back. Naruto noticed Jiraiya's gaze was on his hair. He usually kept his hair short, but recently his blonde hair rested just below his eyebrows.

"Growing your hair out? What have I told you about that?"

"It's just a little. I wanted to see how it would look."

"Fine, but don't let it grow out too long. When you're out doing missions, you don't want people attacking you in spite of your father. It's a huge resemblance."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said as he tilted his head back. He never met his dad. Both his parents suffered in the same incident that Konohamaru's parents died in.

The window bursted open and let in a massive burst of wind. Naruto eyes abruptly popped open as he tried to reach forward and fell back in the chair.

Jiraiya gave a small smile. "It's just wind."

Naruto hurried and stood up, "Shit. It popped. My Shadow Clone fell asleep, and when its head hit the desk, it dispersed!"

Jiraiya entire face lightened up as his smiled curved, "Then you better run! He'll be up here any minute!"

He jumped to the window's frame. "See you later, Jiraiya!"

"Hopefully, you don't," Jiraiya said as he picked up his 'oil' headband off the floor. Jiraiya gazed at it with a warm smile. It was his old headband when he traveled the country, free as a cloud.

What's the big deal, anyway? He gets all the memories of the Shadow Clone, so it's like he would have been there himself. He quickly let himself fall to the ground, entered through the Academy's door, and

"Hey, Naruto!"

Naruto slowed down to greet the older man waving his arm up. It was Teuchi, the owner of the ramen bar in the village. Great stuff, especially when Jiraiya doesn't have time to eat with him. Recently, that's been often. Not many people go there. It gave Naruto a peace of mind and enjoy the company of Teuchi and Ayame, two people that don't treat him any different for being the son of the Fourth, or "godson" of the Fifth, Jiraiya.

"You coming to my restaurant, later? Ayame has been wanting you to try out the new barbecue flavor."

"Sure thing, I'll drop by after class!" Naruto said as he sped past.

Naruto sprinted through the Academy's door and he raced to the classroom. He looked at the class' shocked and bored faces. Naruto furrowed an eyebrow before he walked up the middle steps between the desk and sat next to the sleeping Kiba.

However, he noticed all eyes were on him. "Why is everyone looking at me?!"

"How'd you do that?" Ino investigated.

"Do what?"

"You disappeared! No log or anything!"

"Oh. Right. Yeah. That was a Shadow Clone."

There were numerous wows but as he caught the glimpse of Sasuke's scowl on the opposite side, he gave a curious look back, to which Sasuke looked away. By him was his girlfriend. Sakura quickly smiled and waved to Naruto.

"Wait, isn't that an advance Jutsu? How'd you managed that?" Shikamaru asked from the back. By him, Choji ate a bag of chips.

Dare he tell them about the scroll he stumbled upon when Jiraiya was out drinking? He found the Scroll of Sealing about a month ago and every time Jiraiya "snuck" out, he'd train with it. Now, on the verge of thirteen, he's learned to nurture the talent for more useful things. Like, skipping class.

"Practiced with the Clone Technique and discovered it myself."

Again, numerous wows. This time, it woke up Kiba. "What's with all the noise?"

"It is a classroom, Kiba," Sakura snarked.

"Whatever, it's such a drag," Shikamaru stated.

"He said it!" Kiba stated as he let his head fall back into his arms.

Naruto glimpsed to the other side of the room but noticed Sasuke's glare. The two of them had a tense eye contact. Naruto wondered what his deal was. Even Sakura looked concerned as she looked at him. However, as the front door opened to for an irritated Iruka to walk in, Naruto faced forward.

Iruka squinted half his face at Naruto before he walked to the board. He picked up the chalk to begin writing, but suddenly he turned around, threw the chalk towards the class, and hit right on Naruto's forehead. Naruto held his head from the sudden pain. Iruka gave a smug grin, "Just gotta make sure you're real."

Naruto rubbed his head as Iruka turned around and picked up another chalk to write with. Once he was finished, Iruka stood to the side for the class to see. An announcement about the graduation exam tomorrow.

Naruto could have taken it early but didn't want to leave the class he's come to like and wanted to know the people he's teamed up with.

During the rest of class, Naruto's mind referred back to the missing Konohamaru. He was the grandson of the Hokage, why was he subdued to the orphanage? Why didn't anyone help him out?

Naruto was lucky to have had Jiraiya around. Who knows what might have happened if he didn't take him in? Even some people now resented him for the Nine-Tails. Some wanted to keep his Jinchuriki status secret but Jiraiya didn't let that happen.

* * *

After class, as Naruto headed down the main road of the village, someone placed their hand on his shoulder and made him stop to look. Iruka. "Going to Ichiraku's?" He asked.

"Yeah. Ayame wanted me to try the new barbecue ramen."

"Do you mind if I join?"

"Just don't yell at me for skipping class."

Iruka made a small laugh, "Technically, you weren't. At first, I was a little heated and bolted to the office, but a _Shadow Clone_! That's amazing!"

"Thanks. Worked hard on it."

"I have a feeling your dad would be proud."

"Really? Think so?" Naruto looked up at Iruka.

"Definitely. Lord Fifth, too."

His face flatlined. "Doesn't show it."

They walked Ichiraku's Ramen bar and sat at the stools. It was a small building. One side didn't have a wall, only short flaps hanging from the ceiling. Ayame leaned to rest her arms on the bar to talk to the two. She was as cheery as she is pretty. "I hope you two are here to try the barbecue," she teased. "If not, don't bother staying."

"In that case, we would like two bowls, please," Iruka said.

"Actually, make that three," another voice said from behind them.

Naruto looked over his shoulder and saw one of his dad's students before he became the Fourth Hokage. Obito Uchiha. His spiky, black hair dangled over his forehead.

"Hey, Obito! You're finally back from your mission!" Iruka greeted.

"Yeah, finally. How's the teaching going, Iruka?"

"It's going great! Sure miss you on the school board ever since you became a Jounin two years ago. Can't believe Jiraiya put you on his secret spy system."

"I miss it, too. But my abilities are the best when it comes to spying and how could I say no to Jiraiya after how nicely he's treated my clan?"

Ever since Jiraiya became the Hokage, he promoted favorable conditions to the Uchiha. It halted a mistrust between them and the village. Jiraiya told him the Uchiha's Sharingan is able to control the Nine-Tails, and after its attack, there were rumors of their involvement. However, using Obito Uchiha as a spy when he was made Hokage, Jiraiya found that they were not involved at all and rebuilt their trust.

But, that leads to how the Nine-Tails escaped in the first place. Jiraiya was absent until two years after the incident and took the title of Hokage within the year. Before Jiraiya came back, Danzo stood in as a temporary Hokage. He was the one who found the Third Hokage at his dying words. Apparently, a masked man was involved.

Of course, most of this is confidential, and Naruto, who had access to pretty much everything Jiraiya lied around, found out. Plus, Jiraiya didn't know when to shut up when he's drunk, which is either really late at night or at the Hokage's Residence, where people won't see him.

As Obito took a seat next to Naruto, he motioned for his attention. He was like a much older big brother or uncle. "Hey, can you tell me more about my dad?" Naruto asked.

Obito rubbed his face and hummed a thought. "I could tell you about the time he saved me from a boulder crushing me?"

"You've told me about that! What about how he and my mom met?"

He smiled, "Actually, I've only met your mom once and it was very brief."

Naruto pouted. "Didn't even bother to meet your teacher's wife more than once?"

Obito made a carefree face as he held his hands in the air and shrugged.

Ayame scooted a bowl in front of Naruto. "Hey, no frowning or it'll be extra."

Naruto turned his pout into a smirk as he split his chopsticks into two.

* * *

The sky turned into a vibrant dark blue and dawned down an overcast of the same color. Naruto walked towards the Hokage's Residence. The new flavor Ayame fed him was a little too spicy for his personal taste but smiled and said it was fantastic to satisfy her.

Ahead, he saw Sakura sitting on the steps in front of her house. "Hey, I need to talk to you," she said as he came up to her.

"What is it?"

Sakura and he had always been friends. She never treated him differently because of his upbringing. To her, she was just another, ordinary person, and she was as regular as they came. Her family wasn't a clan, so because they don't have as many responsibilities, Jiraiya had asked her parents to babysit him when they were younger, thus they became playmates.

"I was wondering if you have you seen Sasuke around Ino any? Recently, he's been heading home right after class a lot."

Naruto shook his head. "No. Barely see the guy, except when he glares at me in class."

"I wouldn't take too much offense to that. He always asks me if you're a better fighter than him."

Naruto smiled. "What exactly do you say?"

She smirked and wagged a finger at him. "Just the truth."

"He's not _that_ much better than me."

She gave an innocent smile at him. "No, but it's still a little bit."

Naruto shortened his smile to a grin and begin to turn away, waving as he did. "See you tomorrow, Sakura."

"Bye, come find me after you pass!"

Jiraiya was probably still at the office so it should only be him for a little while. He figured he could read up on some of those secret scrolls if he could find them.

However, as he unlocked and walked into the large house, he noticed it was pitch-black dark. He fumbled for the light switch, but even after he found and flipped it on, the light didn't come on. "Really? Ugh."

He navigated through the dark for the stairs, but as he took the first step, he twisted around at the sudden sound of footsteps. "Who's there?!"

As soon he shouted, he heard the door swing open for someone to run out. "Hey!" Naruto yelled as she ran out of the house. However, as he stood outside, the intruder had already fled. From the dark figure of the person, it was obviously an adult. He locked the door behind him and hurried to tell Jiraiya.

Without a knock, Naruto bursted into Jiraiya's office. The man was writing but halted to look to Naruto. "There was someone in our house!"

"What?! Did you see who they were?"

"No, they killed the power so I couldn't see them, but I'm almost sure it wasn't a kid."

"Alright. Crow, go with Naruto to secure my house. I'll be there momentarily."

"Yes, sir," a man said from behind Naruto. He didn't even realize he was there, and the doors closed as he came in, so he must have already been in the room. He had a porcelain mask that resembled a weasel and wore a grey jacket. An Anbu member.

As they walked back to the house, the Anbu member told him to go on inside while he stuck to the dark. After Naruto found the power box switch to turn the power back on, they both searched the entire house and saw there was no one around. Either Naruto's presence scared the intruder off… or they found what they were looking for. Either way, they didn't come back.

Naruto sighed and sat on the couch. In front of him, he saw the Anbu member. "No one's here, but the scroll storage room is empty."

"Jiraiya hid everything in there better."

"I see. We'll have to wait for him to arrive then," the man said. Naruto thought it would be a few minutes of silence, but the Anbu spoke again. "You're in… Sasuke's class, right?"

Naruto furrowed an eyebrow. "Yeah."

"Are you… his friend?"

"Not really. He glares at me a lot."

"I see. Could you… try to be his friend?"

Naruto smiled. It's obvious who he was. "He better not bite me in the ass."

At that, Jiraiya walked through the door. "I've ordered a guard to look after this place while I'm not here."

"But, what about the scrolls?"

"Safe. They weren't hidden in the house."

"Oh, well-"

"And you better not look for them."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Fine."

Jiraiya nodded for Crow to leave, and left the two alone. However, Naruto stood up and walked up the stairs. "Going to bed. I have graduation tomorrow."

"I'll be seeing ya, then," Jiraiya said as he walked into the kitchen.

Naruto glimpsed at him just before he climbed the rest of the steps. Once he saw the bottle of sake, he shook his head and marched up the stairs.

* * *

In the morning, Jiraiya has already left to the Academy and left Naruto alone. It was just a minute walk, anyway. He dressed in black jogging pants, zipped on an orange hooded jacket over his mesh shirt. As he was about to exit his room, he saw the goggles that sat on the drawer. Obito gave them to him when he went on his first solo mission, said he outgrew them.

He took them and wrapped them around his neck and set off to the Academy for the exam. The weather was never too warm, so his thin hoodie shouldn't make him too hot.

Arriving at the class, half the students haven't come yet. it was hard for Naruto to be late when he lived so close. The students minded their own conversations with their friends, except for the loner, Sasuke. Sakura hadn't come, yet.

Naruto remembered what the Anbu said and walked up to the boy. "Ready for the exam, Sasuke?"

There have been moments where Sasuke glared at him with distaste, especially when they did mock battles with each other. It was always a close fight, no matter who won. When Sasuke would win, he'd have an arrogant smile. But, when he lost, he glared at Naruto like he killed his entire clan. The way Naruto understood it, his older brother graduated in just a year, so it must be a heavy burden when you can't represent. Naruto can relate. He will always be overshadowed by his father and Jiraiya and their accomplishments.

"Of course, I am," he sincerely stated.

Naruto made a slight scowl before he crossed his arm and lightened up. "I wondered if you wanted to spar sometime."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto as he placed his locked fingers on his philtrum. "Maybe. But let's see what teams we got on, first."

Naruto smirked and went to his usual seat. Kiba hadn't come yet, either. However, the girl that sat on the other side of him was always early. A shy girl with blue hair, Hinata. He was at least acquaintances with everyone in the class, except for her. Kiba seemed to have an eye out for the girl, though.

As more students followed each other into the classroom, Mizuki came in last. He was another instructor here at the Academy but taught earlier classes. Very friendly dude; always had a great smile.

"Alright, you guys. Line up in the hallway, wait outside the boardroom. Come on, let's get this done with."

With that, the chatter of the students started as they left the room. Kiba must be running late, so that meant the Hinata girl stood behind him in the line. Naruto glimpsed over his shoulder to look at her, she redirected her eyes to the ground.

"Nervous?" He asked.

She rubbed her arm as she looked someplace else "A little."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. I sure hope Kiba doesn't miss it, though."

"Right," she quietly said.

One by one, a student went to the room and pass. Finally, it was Naruto's turn. He stood in front of a long, cheap table for Mizuki and Iruka to sit and judge each student.

"Well, Naruto. I already know you can do the Shadow Clone, which is leagues ahead of the Clone Technique," Iruka stated.

"Oh, really?" Mizuki ecstatically asked. "That is just what I'd expect from the Hokage's son."

Naruto confident grin flatlined.

"Still, you need to show us here, Naruto," Iruka said.

Naruto did the tiger seal and made a Shadow Clone right by him.

"Wow, I can say already that you've passed, but just how many of those can you make?" Mizuki inquired.

"Why are you asking, Mizuki? He's already passed."

Mizuki held a hand up, "I'm just a little curious about my former student's progress, that's all."

Naruto thought about what he should say. In the scroll, he learned how to make hundreds of them for the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. But, he'd rather keep that a secret. "Up to four, five if I really try."

"That so?" Mizuki smiled. "That's all."

Naruto furrowed an eyebrow as he walked up to the desk and grabbed a forehead protector.

Once he walked out, he noticed Hinata waiting patiently. "Good job, Naruto."

"Thanks. Your turn. Good luck" He walked past all the other students until he saw Kiba with wet hair and without his heavy, hot jacket. "Idiot. You overslept, didn't you?"

"Hey, it's not my fault Akamaru turned off my alarm! And not all of us live close like you do! _Idiot_!"

Akamaru is his dog. The clan Kiba belonged to trains and works with dogs, basically inseparable. Naruto held his fist out and let Kiba knock it with his before he walked out.

Outside, he saw Sasuke hold his headband while Sakura had already placed her's on her giant forehead. It's not really that giant but Ino would say otherwise. Ino was probably jealous of the fact they were always together. Naruto placed his headband on his forehead, too.

They both stood by their parents, Sakura a little distance away. Behind Sasuke was his dad, Fugaku. He always gave Naruto a deep stare before initiating a friendly conversation. "Hello, Naruto. How the exam go?"

"Fair."

He placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "Maybe you and my son will get placed on the same team. What do you think?"

"As if they'd put the two best fighters together," Sasuke said.

"My grades are only average, so who knows?"

As Sasuke shot a glare at Naruto, Fugaku grinned as he looked at his son. "I'm heading back to the compound. How about you hang out with your friends for a while?" He said before he left.

The two boys stared at each other but thankfully Sakura and her mom came closer. "Come on. we're going to Yakiniku for graduation."

Sasuke smirked. "Sure. Why not?"

Sakura smiled at Naruto. He and she haven't talked much after school because she was always with Sasuke. He would hate being a third wheel. Recently, Naruto saw Kiba as his main friend. He was never afraid to bicker and call him names, unlike other people.

"Yeah, I'll come, too."

The restaurant was busy but not enough to overshadow their conversations with the common chatter. They sat in a booth, Sasuke and Naruto sat side by side, while Sakura and her mom sat parallel. In the middle of the table was the built-in grill, which cooks the raw meat.

"So, Naruto! It's been so long. I've heard a rumor about you learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu! How many are you able to summon?" Her mother asked.

He could feel Sasuke's stare from the side of his eyes. "Up to five."

"Five? Really? I can't even get four regular clones," Sakura stated.

"When my older brother was attending his year at the Academy, he went a week using a Shadow Clone to train," Sasuke chimed in.

"A whole week? No wonder he graduated his first year," Naruto stated.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke's fist clenching on his chopsticks. "And I'm here, graduating on time. I should be better."

"It's no use beating yourself up, Sasuke," Sakura's mother exclaimed. "Itachi was one of the youngest ever to graduate from the academy, only being beaten by Kakashi."

Naruto frowned down. "Kakashi? Obito always talked about him but never told me how he died."

Sakura's mother humbled down, "It's… not something to talk about here."

Whenever Obito told a story, he'd always talk about his best friend, and teammate, Kakashi. He has seen Rin with Obito all the time but when Naruto noticed he hasn't seen his other teammate, he decided to ask. But, Obito said he wished not to speak about it.

* * *

Hours later, Naruto walked into the Hokage's Residence and noticed Jiraiya was already home. But, behind the counter in the kitchen.

"Home, already?" Naruto asked.

"Actually, I'm having to work the night with paperwork," he said as he took out a bottle of alcohol.

"I have a question, something I've been curious about."

"Sure, kiddo. What do you need?"

"Obito's squadmate, Kakashi. What exactly happened?"

Jiraiya widened his eyes at Naruto. "I'm not sure you're old enough for that."

Naruto coughed and held up his ninja headband. Jiraiya stared at it before he let his eyes fall and took a deep breath. As he was about to walk into the living room, he doubled back to get another bottle. "Alright. Take a seat." Jiraiya let his ass crash on the opposite side of the couch and crossed his legs to sit on the coffee table.

"Kakashi Hatake. A hero, a true legend. I was a grand-teacher to him, as my student taught him. But first, you should know Sakumo, his father. He chose to abandon an important mission in favor of rescuing his teammates, earning the disrespect of the village. He fell into a deep depression and eventually killed himself. But, as Obito would say, those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

Jiraiya took his first swing at the bottle, a giant gulp. His breaths made it obvious he did not want to tell the story.

"It was in the Third Great Ninja War, after their successful bridge demolition mission, Kakashi and his team went on a mission to booby-trap an area occupied by Mist Ninjas." Another gulp and he had already almost finished the bottle.

"They were ambushed by the very squad they were trying to trap. Kakashi was captured, and made a Jinchuriki with a tempered seal, in hopes that he'll ravish our village. After Obito and Rin saved them, he realized what had happened. Knowing he couldn't ask his teammates, he killed himself to protect the Leaf Village and his friends."

"That's… rough," Naruto frowned as Jiraiya finished his first sake.

"And that's why I got two of these," Jiraiya said as he picked up the other, full bottle.

"I wished you'd stop drinking."

"Come on, I'm highly tolerant. You should see Tsunade. She wouldn't be any different."

"Yeah, yeah."

Jiraiya stood up and headed for the door. "Later, kiddo."

Kakashi killed himself because he was made a jinchuruki with a tempered seal. Were the tailed-beasts really that dangerous? Naruto walked the bathroom. He held up his sweatshirt and saw the seal that kept the Nine-Tails in place. He had become a ninja today, but would he sacrifice himself in order to protect that of what he loved?

He left the bathroom to come to a dark room. He immediately felt the embrace of a kick to his gut and the wall against his back. Immediately, he felt a wet cloth against his nose and mouth.

* * *

It was a brutal awakening for Naruto. He saw his hands and fingers tied as they hung toward the ground, but noticed the green flak jacket with the swirl on the back. He was being carried on someone's shoulder, a Leaf Ninja, no less. Could this the intruder from last night, who made the same approach by killing the lights? Or was this a savior and they were on the way back to the village?

He could see the dirt path. No way he was in the village. Slowly, he picked up his head saw the familiar long, white hair of Mizuki. If it weren't for the restraints, Naruto would have mistaken this for the rescue, not the capture.

He'll have to get tired and take a piss break, right? Or, something? Best pretend to be asleep. But, how the hell did he get past all the security? Jiraiya said he tightened it. Unless he somehow knew about all the secret tunnels inside the Hokage Rock that led right into the Hokage's Residence.

A long while has passed since he woke up, and Mizuki had yet to put him down, but he suddenly stopped and stood.

"Hey, I'm here with the kid who knows the Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"I've been waiting for ages," a man with a slight lisp said. "Just put him down by the tree."

"As you wish." Mizuki crouched over and dropped Naruto. Naruto moved his body to sit upright. "Oh, you're awake! Wish ya told me. I was getting pissed carrying you!"

A pale white man with long, brown hair walked near. "So this is the Jinchuriki. Son of the Fourth, Godson of the Fifth. And now, knower of the Shadow Clone."

The man crouched near and placed his hand on Naruto's neck. "Mizuki had no luck finding the Scroll of Sealing, but he realized you somehow knew the Shadow Clone out of nowhere, I figured you must have read the Forbidden Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu from the Scroll."

After all the reassurance he took to not tell people, it was the reason this is happening right now. Hell, he didn't even tell people he knew how to summon hundreds of clones, which was what the scroll taught him. The Scroll taught him both, it was only the Multiple version that was forbidden.

"Where is it? I need its secrets."

"Don't know where it is. Jiraiya hid it after he realized I got to it," Naruto explained.

"Aw, such a pity, and here I was about to let you live."

"What?! If I come up dead, my father will come after you!"

"Your father?" The man laughed, "Oh, you mean Jiraiya. He spent years trying to find me, and now that Jiraiya's Hokage, he has no choice but stay in his little office!"

Naruto eyes widened. There was only one man Jiraiya fixated his entire secret service to find. "You're Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru made a grin as he stood up. A long sword came out of his sleeve.

"Wait, Orochimaru," Mizuki said.

"What is it?" He snarled.

"Shouldn't we keep him alive and ransom him for the scroll?"

Orochimaru hummed as he thought. "I guess you're right, then when we get the scroll, we kill him, anyway."

"Or, better yet... temper with his seal. He is the jinchuruki of the Nine-Tails, after all."

Naruto scowled at him while Orochimaru laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Mizuki reached behind Naruto to grab his restraints.

"Naruto, duck!" Another voice shouted. Naruto did as the shout said and threw himself to the ground. A giant fuma shuriken flew over him and Mizuki and cut down the tree behind them.

Mizuki brushed the dirt off him. "Iruka! So glad you came. I was regretting not being able to kill you."

Iruka jumped down from the trees. "Mizuki. I knew there was something up when you asked Naruto those questions."

"And you came alone?!" Mizuki asked with a giant, eager smile.

Orochimaru smiled. "Iruka. I remember you. A worthless ninja, not even able to become a Jounin. Mizuki here had shown promise, unlike you."

"It doesn't matter what I am, as long as I save Naruto."

Orochimaru threw his head forward. A long tongue aimed a sword at Iruka. However, it passed right through him.

"How?!" Behind Mizuki, Obito appeared and held a kunai to his neck. His eyes were two, bright Sharingan.

Orochimaru retracted his tongue. "Obito Uchiha, Ghost of the Uchiha. You killed four dozens of Mist Ninja when you were just a Chunin."

"Jiraiya knew someone was using the secret tunnels, so he planted me in them to see who was using them. Lo and behold, I saw Mizuki go to the Hokage Rock just as Jiraiya left Naruto alone."

"And you didn't kill Mizuki at that moment and came to see where'd he go? Such a foolish mistake," Orochimaru said. He threw his arm towards Mizuki and Obito and made dozens of snakes come out. Obito used his Kamui to phrase them through, which let Mizuki go.

Mizuki dashed at Iruka with a kunai. "I'm glad Naruto got the Hokage double drunk by asking about Kakashi. It'll make it all the easier to kill you two!"

However, a giant man jumped in front of Iruka and kicked Mizuki away.

Orochimaru scrowled at him, "Jiraiya."

"I knew it had to be you when Iruka expressed his concern," Jiraiya said. "That's why the sake I drank tonight was just water."

"Even if Iruka is lackluster, Obito and Jiraiya will be too much of a problem," Mizuki voiced. "We should leave."

"I agree." Orochimaru placed his hand on Mizuki's neck. At his touch, Mizuki gave a horrified stare. And like that, Orochimaru dispersed into dozens of snakes as Mizuki started to grow huge lumps all over his body.

Jiraiya sprinted to stand in front of Naruto. However, Obito used his Sharingan to transfer Mizuki to his pocket dimension. Jiraiya, who had both of his arms into a guard position, sighed and crossed his arms. "Figures the snake would slither away."

"I'll get those," Iruka said as he got to his knees to untie Naruto's restraints.

Naruto rubbed his wrist and stood up, only for Jiraiya to force him into a hug. "I'm glad you're safe."

As much Naruto wanted to push him away, Jiraiya really pulled through for him. "Was that really water?"

"Not the first one," Jiraiya said, followed by a hearty laugh.

Jiraiya relinquished his arms and let Obito place his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Jiraiya told me he told you about Kakashi." Naruto frowned as he was about to apologize, but Obito kept talking. "And, after a little discussion, he suggested that _I_ should be your team leader."

He looked at Jiraiya, who nodded. "I can't see anyone else besides the student of your father to teach you."

Naruto smiled, or so he wanted to. But, as Mizuki suggested tempering with the Nine-Tails seal, all he could think about was his survival. Although he wanted to be his own legend if the day were to come where he had put others above him, would he actually do it?

* * *

Miles and miles away from Konohagakure, a waterfall rashed down violently. Close to the top of it, a girl held her knees as she looked up to the dark sky. This was her favorite place to be. Not many people would come up here unless they sought her out.

The stars were of numerous colors. She wondered just what they were as they glittered up the sky? Were they friends? Could she meet them? Her orange eyes matched some stars, while others matched her mint-green hair. However, not any of them matched her caramel skin.

The giant hill surrounded the village like a crater. Here, it remained Hidden. She doesn't know what she would do if she'd ever lost it or the people in it, even if most did despise her. They see her as misfortune but she always thought herself as lucky. Maybe she'll get lucky and get to see the outside world, soon.

As much she wanted to protect her village, she can't just stay here for the rest of her life. She wants to fly up to the stars, see the world, have an adventure, and make as many friends as there are stars.

* * *

 **And here is the rewrite of Reconstruction. Hopefully, this chapter describes all the changes in the AU. This time, Jiraiya is Hokage after the Third and Fourth die on the same day. Obito is Team 7 captain as Kakashi dies in place of Rin. Sakura and Sasuke are already "together." Sasuke is angry that he can't be like his brother. Uchiha Clan is still around, again. I'm not sure what I'll do with Danzo but I want to make him redeemable, like in the original. Is there anything that I'm missing? There are some other changes, just not present yet. The main villain won't be Madara.**

 **I decided to make Naruto not hated because, well, I didn't even like that in canon. He's keeping everyone safe from the Nine-Tails and you're trying to make him angry? Tf?**

 **The fight was meant to be lackluster. Wanted to explore characterization for the first chapter.**

 **Also, who attacks the Leaf on Naruto's village will be a mystery for some time. As most people knew from the original, Orochimaru was involved.**

 **Fu will be introduced to the main story soon. Don't worry!**

 **5/17/2018: Updated**


	2. Naruto II

" _It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."_

* * *

On a warm, cloudless day, Naruto sat on top of a building along with his squad members, Sasuke and Sakura. It was a pleasant surprise when he learned they all got teamed up. He already knew Obito would be his Captain, but the sight of him in a regular Leaf Shinobi flak jacket was a bit unsightly.

"I already know all of you pretty well from when I was a teacher," Obito said as he leaned against a railing. "But, let's talk what each of us wants. Like, the type of person you want to be or your dreams."

"Maybe you should go first, Obito Sensei," Sakura suggested. She changed her outfit a bit. To shorts and a pink, buttoned shirt over a mesh shirt.

"I guess that's fair. I strive to be a person that can protect anyone and everyone. I want people to feel safe by just the sound of my name. And, well… I also want to be the first Uchiha Hokage."

Naruto raised his head some. He didn't know Obito wanted to be Hokage.

"It's been my dream since I was a kid. Now, your turn."

Sakura smiled. "I want to be someone dependable, to be someone that people can count on, no matter what."

"That's a good goal. What about you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke kept his calm posture and fixated his eyes on Obito. "I want to be the strongest of the Uchiha."

"The strongest, huh? That's a big goal." Good thing Obito didn't mention Itachi, or he would have been glared at by Sasuke. He hated being compared to his big brother. "Now, what about you, Naruto?"

Naruto swayed his eyes to his teammates before back to Obito. "I want to be remembered through history, to have my own name like my father, the Yellow Flash. Not just Hokage's son or grandson."

"That so? I would have thought you would aim to be Hokage, too."

"And have the same title as so many others? Or the same as my despicable Godfather? I want to be my own thing, my own legend. Not in someone's shadow."

Obito gazed at Naruto like he tried to see through him, but he closed his eyes and took a breath. "Alright. Let's talk about tomorrow, I need to make sure you three are up to my standards. If not, you won't be able to take on the month ahead."

Sakura stood up. "Standards? What do you mean?"

Obito made a sly grin as he looked at his feet. "If you can't take on my standards, then you'll die in the following month. I plan to train you all to the crest."

Sasuke made a smirk, but Naruto raised his nose and slightly tilted his head back. "Just how much training are you planning on making us do?"

Obito raised his head up and smiled.

* * *

In the next two months, between the training regime Obito had set them on, Naruto has done what seemed like a thousand D-Rank missions with his team. But then came their first C-Rank mission, which brought them to the ground path that led outside of the village.

Naruto looked at the back of Tazuna, the man they were assigned to protect on their first C-Rank mission. Jiraiya trusted them enough for this mission, but after the man that hired them started to drink, Naruto felt nothing but regret.

He had skinny glasses, white hair, and a tall stature. Although he was a bit old, he was built to build bridges, which he is to do in Land of Waves, safely.

A drug and business lord named Gato has isolated their country and monopolized everything inside for the sake of his own greed. But, a bridge to the mainland would fix that.

Obito led the front, while the three genins stayed behind the man. Sakura stayed in the middle of the two boys. During missions, she was always matured and hasn't even made an attempt to act as more than anything but a comrade to the quiet Sasuke.

The clouds blanketed the sky above, great for walks. The farther East they walked, the closer to the Water Countries they got, which were always cold and humid. It's rumored Kirigakure had never seen the sun.

Suddenly, two shadows pounced from the woods and rushed right at Obito. Their claw gauntlets had chains connected to each other. In just a second, their spiked-chains wrapped around the emotionless Obito, only to phrase through.

"What the hell?!" One of the masked ninjas asked.

"It doesn't matter! Just get our target!" The other shouted.

As the two attackers detached their chains, Sakura took a kunai and ran around Tazuna to protect his front. But the two masked ninjas strafed around to reach his sides. Sasuke and Naruto rushed to intervene and blocked them with their own kunai knives.

"Damn kids," the one Naruto held off said. He raised his gauntlet-less hand to punch Naruto, but Obito gripped his wrist.

"Black hair, the Sharingan, abilities that make him intangible. That's the Ghost of the Uchiha!" The ninja Sasuke held off shouted. His pupils shook as he saw his comrade pass out from Obito's chop to his neck.

The ninja disconnected his gauntlet from the chain, kneed Sasuke in the gut, and jumped to the tree. However, Obito lashed their detached chain at them and caught it around his ankle. He pulled on it. It absolutely shredded his leg as it dragged him back to the ground.

* * *

After Obito tied them to a tree with their own spiked chain, he took off their gauntlets. If it they tried to get free, the spikes on their chains would stop them. With his eye ability, the gauntlets twisted out of the dimension. "Good thing no one got hurt. Those gauntlets have poison in them."

"What are we going to do with them?" Sakura asked.

"Probably just wait for them to be arrested. Not much use of killing them." Obito had mentioned he didn't particularly like killing anyone unless the mission demanded it, but ever since they left the village, he has been so sincere and distant.

"But, aren't they missing-nin?"

"Yes. So I suspect someone hired them to cut-" Obito swayed his eyes to Tazuna. "Someone specific down."

Tazuna made a glare. "What are you trying to get at?"

"I could have killed them both instantly but I wanted to find out if it was just attacked on the Leaf, or a job to kill you. You said you just wanted protection from bandits. Not ninjas."

Tazuna made a small growl, "It was too expensive."

Obito took out a piece of paper and began to write on it. "And what were to happen if the protection you hired for just a C-Rank were to be assassinated?"

"I guess I would have been dead, too."

"And that's why I'm upgrading this mission, at my own will." Obito held the paper to Naruto. "Naruto, make a Shadow Clone and take this to Jiraiya. It'll save us time, and be sure to wait for Jiraiya's response before you disperse."

"Alright." After Naruto made the replica, it grabbed the paper and doubled back.

"Thank you," Tazuna struggled to say.

Obito looked at him without an ounce of emotion on his face and then to his team. "If you four are ready, let's get on with it."

As they got back on the road, Naruto remembered the headbands symbols. They had a slash through them. "Hey, Obito?"

Obito turned his head back.

"Were those… Mist Ninjas?"

Obito made a small smile. "Yes, but they had a slash through, which meant they were missing-nin. Probably defected because of the tyranny of the Fourth Mizukage."

"Tyranny?"

He nodded. "Even renaming his home to Village of the _Bloody_ Mist."

"The Bloody Mist? That doesn't sound pleasant at all," Sakura chimed in.

"No. No, it's not pleasant. Even when people like those that just attacked us defect from them, it's saying something."

Naruto looked at the back of Obito's jacket. From the time they met Orochimaru, and what the Mist Duo had called him, people knew him as the Ghost of the Uchiha. He's always known him as a role model, but... he has a name like that through history.

* * *

Hours later, a man carried the five of them across the sea that surrounded the Land of Waves. During that time, it became that it's a poor nation, and with Gato blockading, everything but those boats were hidden in the mist, they couldn't regain any composure.

Eventually, they returned to land and walked to another dirt path in the middle of grassy woods, they themselves near the bank of a lake. As a deep fog came from seemingly nowhere, Naruto looked around. The mist seeped out from the trees.

"Get down!" Obito shouted.

Sakura immediately helped Tazuna get to the ground. Above them came a gigantic, spinning sword.

Obito held his arm up in the air. His arm phrased through just until his arm was between the hole that resided in the sword, making it spin around it. Obito took hold of it and sheathed it in the dirt.

"It was obvious they would send someone else but I didn't think it would be you," Obito said.

After Naruto helped Tazuna up, the three genins gathered around him to protect their VIP.

"Sensei, couldn't you just use your Kamui to protect Tazuna?!" Sakura inquired.

"And what happens if I die? He wouldn't be able to escape."

Sakura grunted at the realization. Honestly, Naruto had thought of the same idea.

Their attention all turned when they heard a deep voice from the fog as if it was the mist itself that spoke. "My blade went right through your arm, so that must mean only one thing."

Through the mist, a tall man with bandages over his mouth and a headband twisted to face the side walked closer. He swung his arms down to the side of his body. "I've seen you in the bingo books, _Ghost of the Uchiha._ "

"I want you three to stay out of this. He's at my level. Zabuza, one of the Legendary Swordsmen, another missing-nin. _You_ attempted an assassination of your own Mizukage."

"He's no Mizukage of _mine_!" Zabuza rushed at Obito.

Obito took a kunai out of his pouch, but as he stabbed it into Zabuza's head, he melted into water. He jerked his head to the mist behind him and jumped away. The real Zabuza ran right through his intangible body and forcibly unsheathed his sword from the ground.

Zabuza dashed at the Tazuna and the three genins. Naruto rushed to protect with his kunai, but as his massive sword sliced right through it, he ducked under the sword that threatened to behead him. Zabuza didn't stop his rush for Tazuna.

As Sakura kept her stance in front of Tazuna, Sasuke stepped in front of her. Zabuza's sword came to execute them, Sasuke put his arms in front of him. However, Zabuza's oversized sword went right through them.

"I won't let any of my comrades die, Sasuke," Obito said. He must have used his Kamui on him like he did with Iruka.

But… a person needed to be in contact with Obito when he does that. When Obito used his Kamui with Iruka, he had a thread that connected them, but there wasn't anything like that connected to Sasuke or the others.

Naruto gazed at Zabuza's sword. On the hilt was a tiny thread tied to it. Zabuza must not have noticed it and thought the three of them were intangible, instead.

"I guess I'll have to deal with you first, Ghost of the Uchiha!" Zabuza dashed back to the coast. He did a hand sign and made thicker fog come to be.

"Make sure you cover every side of Tazuna," Obito said as he rushed to go on the offensive.

As Zabuza performed a godlike number of hand seals, Obito followed with his own. Behind Zabuza, the water morphed and formed higher and bigger. Eventually, it took on the appearance of a dragon. However, Obito placed his cuffed hand over his mouth and blew fire out.

"What is sensei doing?!" Sakura inquired. "Water beats fire!"

The fire out of Obito's mouth grew and overshadowed Zabuza's water dragon. As their elemental dragons collide, the water evaporated and the area around became an outdoor sauna.

"Wow. I didn't know Obito could so that," Naruto said. He looked at Sasuke and noticed the same jealous, irritated glare he would give Naruto.

However, as the fog cleared, only one silhouette stood. Zabuza, with his sword deep in Obito's gut.

"Obito!" Naruto shouted as she ran.

"Naruto, no! We need to leave!" Sakura strongly suggested.

But it was too late. Naruto made numerous clones as he jumped into the crater. Zabuza used his sword to throw Obito's body away in time to block all three of his clones.

"I am way out of your league, kid. A true ninja. I wasn't even your age when I killed the entirety of the Academy students."

Naruto eyes widened. "You.. killed your own classmates?"

"To become a ninja in the Bloody Mist, one has to kill everyone else. Acquaintances, friends, family. If they were in your class, you'd have to kill them. I killed over a hundred of them!"

"You're a murderer!"

"I'm a ninja! You can't be one without killing at least one innocent person! Your sensei was more ninja than anyone I have ever seen! The legend of the Ghost that killed hundreds of defenseless Mist Ninja in a ravenous killing spree!"

Naruto scowled at him before he took a kunai out of his pouch and darted at him. Zabuza picked up his massive sword and flung it at him. However, the sword went phased right through Naruto and let him stab his kunai deeply into Zabuza's gut, enough to make his hand drenched in blood.

Zabuza dropped his sword and held his gut, "How? Why didn't my sword cut you in half?!"

The thread that was attached to his hilt tugged, just like how it did during Zabuza's ninja bloat. At first, Zabuza glanced at it before he glanced back. His eye widened as if he was a ghost. "I killed you!"

"You said it yourself, Zabuza," Obito said as he appeared behind Zabuza. "I'm the Ghost of the Uchiha. And you can't kill a ghost."

Suddenly, several pins pierced into Zabuza's neck and knocked him out. Above, on a high branch of a tree, was a girl not even taller than Naruto. A masked concealed her identity but she had brown hair tied into a bun.

"Thank you for your help," she said. "But, I saw the opportunity and took it. I've been after Zabuza for quite some time."

As the other three caught up to the edge of the now lakeless crater, they noticed the girl.

"Who's that?" Sakura asked.

As Obito turned off his Sharingan, he glared at her. "A ninja of Kirigakure Hunter-Nin corps, and you're barely older than my students."

"Indeed," she said as she jumped from the tree and landed on Zabuza's body. "I need to leave and dispose of the body."

"Leave?" Obito narrowed his eyes, turned on his Sharingan, and twisted Zabuza into his pocket dimension.

She grabbed more pins to threaten him with. "What's the meaning of this?!"

"Tracking ninjas dispose of the bodies right there and then!"

She grunted and took a step back.

"Tell me. Is Zabuza really dead?" Obito asked.

Even with the mask on, Naruto could see the frown as she stared down at the ground. "No. He's not. I only stopped his heart."

Obito walked closer to her. "If you come with us, we can find someone to treat Zabuza. But then the three of us are going to have a long talk."

"Why would you do that? We're the enemy."

Obito waved for the others to follow and walked past her. "Because, I don't like your Mizukage, either."

As they walked, Naruto kept his thoughts in his mind. To be a ninja is to be a murderer? He knew about Obito and what happened after Kakashi's death, but a hundred of innocents? What did that make him? His role model?

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Obito asked.

Naruto gazed up at him before he looked forward. "Are we going have to kill Gato, although he's not a ninja?"

Obito grinned as he lowered his eyebrows. "No, we aren't."

Gato was a horrible person, but he should instead be placed on trial or something, right? Anyone of them could kill a regular person that didn't use chakra.

After they sat Zabuza up in a bed and made sure he wouldn't be able to cause trouble, the girl now named Haku spilled everything about their employer, Gato. The two of them wanted to raise money for another attempt at the Mizukage.

According to Haku, even when Zabuza does wake up, he will be far too weak to do anything. Obito decided to still keep guard. But, as he did that, he used a shadow clone and led his student to a clearing in the woods.

"Alright, your three. It's time to learn about nature transformations. You just witnessed my fire against Zabuza's water."

Within their first months, Obito had taught them how to walk up trees, how to properly enclose things into a seal, and then unseal them. They also started water walking training, but it was put on hold for this mission.

He handed them each a thin piece of paper. "Place these between your fingers and channel your chakra into them."

Naruto took one after Sasuke and Sakura and funneled his chakra into it. It split into two.

Obito smiled as she looked at their papers. "Well, look at that! Sasuke's burned to ash, Sakura's dampened, and Naruto's split in two!"

Naruto raised his two halves of papers. "I get that Sasuke's means fire, and Sakura's is wet, but what about mine?"

"Means you have wind! These are excellent natures to work with."

"What natures do you have, sensei?" Sakura inquired.

"Me? Well, I know how to utilize all but Earth."

"All but Earth?" Sasuke muttered.

"Don't worry, Sasuke. You aren't bound to just the one. I've had a long time to train them, but my primary one has always been fire."

Sakura raised her hand. "So where do we begin?"

"Well, first thing, you need to do what you did to that paper happen to a leaf."

Sasuke glared at Obito, "A leaf? Really?"

"The paper in your hands is specially designed to easily take your chakra. You'll find a leaf is much more challenging."

Sakura stood up and grabbed a leaf that was on the ground. "Better start. Right, sensei?"

Obito nodded. "Yes. Unlike the other training we've done, this one might take a lot of time, but it's good to get a headstart on it. I'm going to combust my shadow clone but first, what did Jiraiya say Naruto?"

"Oh. Just that you should do whatever you saw fit."

"Good. Come back in time for dinner then, you three."

As Obito disappeared, Sakura offered the two of them a leaf. "Come on, you two!"

Naruto stood up and reached for a leaf, only for Sasuke to grab his wrist and give him a glare. "How were you so brave when Zabuza attacked us?"

He pulled his arm away. "I just acted. Not like I did anything. If it wasn't for Obito, I would have been dead."

"That doesn't matter!" Sasuke shouted as he looked at the leaf. "I did… nothing. If I was my brother, I could have mopped the floor with Zabuza. But, all I did was act like a scared, little child."

"Sasuke," Sakura called.

"No. He's right," Naruto blurted. Sasuke glared at him, _again._

Sakura gaped her mouth. "Naruto!"

"Stop whining and complaining and do something about it!"

"Easy for you to say! You're the godson of the-"

"I've become the person I am today because of what I've done to come this far! I never once compared myself to Jiraiya, and you shouldn't compare yourself to Itachi! You two are nothing alike!"

Sasuke looked back to the leaf. "But, I want to be stronger. Like that Haku."

"So do I, but we can't just compare ourselves to those that have already climbed the ladder."

Sasuke breathed through his nose and let it out of his mouth. "Guess you're right."

Sakura placed her hand on Sasuke's arm for a gentle embrace, "And we'll be there with you."

Naruto took the leaf within his palm, but as he pushed his chakra into it, nothing happened. He strained the second time and let out a struggled groan. Still, nothing. After several minutes, he let his arm rest. "Man, this is going to be difficult."

"You're telling me," Sasuke said as he struggled too.

Sakura held her leaf up. "Does this feel damp to you two?"

They both rubbed a finger on her leaf, which made their eyebrows raised up. But Sasuke smirked as he looked away. "Sure that isn't sweat?"

Sakura puckered her lips and made a whining groan to the leaf. "I guess it could be. We're all working hard."

"It sure seems like it," a new voice said.

They all glanced at the girl in the blue kimono, Haku. She no longer had her mask on and let Naruto see how pretty she really was. Sasuke glared at her, but Naruto took upon himself to greet her. "Hey, Haku. What brings you here?"

"Obito said you three were training water affinities, and that two of you had a Water and Wind affinity."

"Why would that matter?" Sasuke asked.

Haku raised her hand up and made a kunai out of ice. "Because my primary elements are _both_ of those."

Naruto straightened his back. "Both? I was under the impression that you're born with only one."

"It's a rare strand that's among my bloodline, a Kekkei-Genkai. Ice Release."

"That's amazing," Sakura chimed in.

With an arrogant smile, Sasuke peered at her. "It wouldn't do much against my fire release."

Haku smiled. "I bet you thought the same about Obito's fire against Zabuza's water."

Sasuke scowled, looked away, and went back to his leaf.

"So, is there anything you could help us with?" Naruto asked.

"Well, for you, cutting the leaf is the first step. But for Sakura here, I have a better exercise for you."

Sakura eyebrows raised. "A better exercise?"

Haku nodded as she took out a giant sponge out of her kimono. "You'll be doing the same with the leaf, but with my exercise, you'll be making water out of the vapor in the air, and into the sponge."

"Into the sponge? Because it's absorbent?"

Naruto watched them talk as he strained to cut his leaf.

"Yep. You're be transforming the moisture into the air in liquid. The sponge is like a conduit. Let me show you the end goal of this exercise."

Naruto grinned as he looked at the massive sponge. But as Haku placed her over some grass, he couldn't help but gaze at her hand while it acted like a rain cloud. Hundred of giant droplets melted from her hand.

Sakura stared in awe. "That's amazing."

Haku smiled as she picked up the sponge and handed it to Sakura. "Make this entire sponge filled with water. And no cheating. Cause if you did, it would just be cheating yourself."

She shook her head. "I would never cheat."

Haku gleamed at her before she pushed on her knees to stand up and walk to Naruto. "Naruto, right?"

"Yep," he said as he pushed his chakra into the leaf, again.

Haku let her knees drop to the grass and placed her hands on the top of his. He swayed his fixated eyes to her. Her hair was tied in a bun, but she had a hair strand down her forehead.

Her hands, they felt chilled on his, but he felt a sudden burst of chakra fummel _through_ his hands and into the leaf. Once she took her hands away, he split his hands, and like his hands, the leaf was split in half. A clean cut.

Haku smiled at him. "You're forcing your chakra too roughly. Imagine it as a sharp, thin blade."

Naruto took another leaf from the ground. As he drained his chakra, he imagined as she said. Like a light that wakes him up, he felt the leaf change. He quickly looked at the leaf. At the top, it had a little cut.

"Good job. But, you have a long time until you've completed it." Haku rotated around and walked towards Tsunami's house.

After a little while longer, Naruto stood up to check out the other's progress. "How's it going, Sakura?"

She rolled her eyes as she squeezed the sponge. "I haven't even got a a drip in yet."

Naruto grinned as she held up his green leaf. "Haku gave me a really good tip."

Sakura narrowed her eyes for a strained look. The cut was almost half an inch. "That's progress, alright."

"What about you, Sasuke?" Sasuke had his back turned.

As Naruto took a step to him, Sasuke raised his hand up, with his leaf. In an instant, it burned to a crisp. "Got it."

Naruto looked at his own leaf. "Uh, good job."

With a smug smirk that curved his mouth, Sasuke stood up and pushed his hands into his white short's pockets. "I'm going for a walk."

Once he disappeared behind the trees, Naruto looked to the depressed Sakura. How does he go from a jealous teenager to an arrogant one?

An hour later, Sakura and Naruto entered Tsunami's house, the young woman herself greeted them. Behind them, a table full of food.

"Hey Naruto, Sakura! My dad is upstairs taking a quick rest. Where's Sasuke at?"

"Went for a walk," Sakura said.

"Well, maybe he'll come by soon to eat. Could you two take a few plates up to Obito and the other two?"

Naruto nodded, took one of the plates while Sakura took two, each filled with rice and grilled fish, and walked up the stairs. He was about to knock on the door that led to Zabuza and Obito when Tsunami's seven-year-old son, Inari opened door parallel to look out of.

"You're going to die."

Naruto halted and rotated to look at him. "What did you say?"

Sakura had a worried expression.

"Gato's men will kill you, just like my father." The young boy's hollowed stare made Naruto's stomach queasy. "He was a hero, and he died because of it."

Naruto raised one side of his nose and glared at the boy, but he didn't say anything and knocked on the door. Haku opened it. "Oh, Naruto!"

Why was she surprised to see him?

"How's the leaf training?" Before he could answer, she grabbed a plate from Naruto and another from Sakura. "Zabuza is still asleep. I'll give this to Obito!"

Naruto eyebrows lowered as she smiled and quickly closed the door. Her impression made it seem she was hiding something in there.

"What was that about?" Sakura asked as she still had a plate in her hands.

"I know." They both eyed Inari, as he stared at them with those hopeless eyes.

"You know what?" Naruto asked.

Inari placed his index finger in front of his mouth and walked down the stairs. Sakura and Naruto gave each other a curious look, but as they heard the door open, they followed him down. But as they heard Tsunami scream followed by the sound of a ceramic plate hitting and breaking on the ground, they sprinted.

"Mom!" Inari yelled

Naruto came into the dining room, and as he saw a man with a beanie and a sword, he jumped onto the dining and leaped at him. The man was knocked to the ground but quickly got up. He sliced at Naruto with his sword, but a random kunai struck into his arm.

As he yelled, Naruto looked at the door. It was Sasuke. He pulled the string tied to the kunai and ripped the muscle fiber of the man's arm out. "Ow, fuck!" He screamed as he succumbed to his knees and held his wound with his undamaged arm.

"Who are you?" Naruto demanded as he took the sword from the ground and threatened the man with. "I'll let you go if you tell me."

He clenched his teeth at Naruto but jerked his face away. "Gato sent me to kill the bridge builder."

"And you're the best guy he had?" Sasuke scoffed.

Haku ran down the stairs. "What happened?"

"Gato's thug came to kill the bridge builder," Naruto said.

"Gato?"

Naruto looked at Haku. "Why didn't Obito come?"

Haku eyes widened. But she pointed up the stairs. "He's watching Zabuza."

"No, he's not," Inari exclaimed.

Naruto glanced at Inari and back to Haku. "Where is he?"

Haku sighed and closed her eyes. "He went to Gato's mansion to the East."

Naruto widened his eyes. "To do what?'

Haku slowly opened her eyes but swayed away from Naruto. "To kill them all."

Naruto squinted his nose before he bolted outside.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed.

"Let him go," Sasuke said.

He used clones to find the exact location, but as they relayed the place, he wanted to throw up. He endured it and arrived at Gato's mansion. The sight was unholy, the ground painted red. What should have been a regular mansion, now looked like a massacre. Probably because it was.

He had to pinch his nose to stop his gag reflexes, but nothing could stop the unease Naruto felt as he walked through the mutilated corpses. He could faint at any time. With each step with his feet, he wished he left. He's never seen anything like this, so he slightly squinted his eyes. He already knew he would have nightmares.

What did it mean to become a ninja?

The ability to kill several dozens of thugs like kids?

Ever since Naruto heard how Zabuza graduated, he couldn't stop the thoughts of himself having to kill someone.

Someday, he may have to.

But why kill people? Like _this?_

Heads decapitated, torsos split, organs out of their bodies. A dirty red that mixed with dirt.

Although his nose was pinched, he could smell the iron from the blood as he opened the front door. It created a thud as he forced it opened. His footsteps sounded heavy on the wooden floor.

Obito didn't like to kill.

He was a good person, like a brother to him. So, why would he do this?

The walls of the stairs were painted with their guts. Naruto had to be careful where he stepped, even as the smell of their bodies watered his eyes.

He opened the door.

Gato was already dead. It looked like he tried to escape to another door but a kunai in his neck made him halt.

Obito stood as he looked out the window. The mist had seeped in from the woods to cover the ground with fog.

"Sensei."

Obito eyes swayed to him before he looked at the window. "Mission… accomplished, Naruto."

Naruto squinted up his face. "Mission… accomplished? This wasn't part of the mission."

"Without them, the bridge builder will be at peace to build his bridge. So, yes. It was."

"It was needless killing."

"When you're a ninja, there is no such thing as a needless kill. Not when you complete the mission."

Naruto's head felt dizzy. "If this is what it meant to be a ninja, then I want out!'

He rotated to face his student. "It had to be done-"

"On that rooftop, you said you wanted people to feel safe when they heard your name! But all I feel from you, right now, is fear and terror."

Obito's reached his hand out. "Naruto-"

"No!" Naruto stepped back. "You're… you're just like Zabuza. You're a murderer."

Obito's eye widened as Naruto teared up and promptly opened another window to jump out.

"A… murderer?" Obito repeated. He looked at the glass and saw his reflection before he looked at his once green flak jacket.

* * *

A few days later, they had remained in the Land of Waves while Tazuna finished the bridge. Obito had given Zabuza all of the money Gato had in his safe, enough for a second attempt at the Mizukage, but he and Haku stayed to see the bridge finished.

On the bridge, Naruto held a leaf between his hands before he pushed chakra into it. It made a cut down the middle, about a third of the way. But, he stared at it blankly before he threw it behind him.

Sakura had almost completely soaked the sponge with her chakra. There was no way it was sweat, not that he tasted it for her or anything.

"Hey."

Naruto looked to Haku, who stood a few inches by him. But, he looked away and to the water. "Haku, can I ask you something?"

There was a chilled silence as she placed her arms on the bridge's railing and looked to the same water.

"Have you ever killed someone?"

Her eyes swayed to him. "Is this about what Obito did?"

Naruto kept his eyes fixated on the waving water.

"No, I haven't, Naruto."

"Then… how can you follow Zabuza?"

"Because" she smiled. "Kirigakure once sought to purge Kekkei Genkai, but Zabuza took me in as his tool."

"A tool?"

"That is what our meaning of ninja is. A tool, a soldier. But, that doesn't have to be _your_ ninja way. You choose your own path."

"But, will I have to kill someone someday?"

"Sometimes, it's necessary to change the future."

Naruto jerked his face to her. "How can you say that like it's a good thing?"

"Remember when Zabuza said he killed his classmates?" Naruto nodded. "He wasn't even a student, so after that day, the program was discontinued. He didn't do it for fun, he did it because he needed to change the future for the better."-

"The Mizukage was the one that made the graduation exams as they were in the first place, among other awful things he's done. That's why he attempted a coup d'etat. But, killing someone is not always the correct thing to do. You need to decide that for yourself."

Naruto slowly nodded. "Thanks, Haku." She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a slight embrace before she left. Maybe, they'll meet again one day.

* * *

Weeks have passed when Obito's Team Seven sat out back home. Sasuke and Sakura led the front by a distance while Obito walked by Naruto's side. They have rarely spoken since that day, nothing besides what was needed.

Obito turned to him, "Still mad at me?"

Naruto shook his head. "I wasn't mad, just… disappointed."

"I really did try to talk to them. It was all self-defense, right to the end, Naruto."

"Does it really matter?" Naruto looked to the happy Sakura and plain Sasuke in front of her as they held hands. "We're ninjas. And someday, I will have to kill someone to protect those who I love."

"It's a good reason to fight. For Rin, you, the others, Jiraiya, Iruka, and soon…"

Naruto lowered his eyebrows and jerked his attention to Obito. "Soon… soon what?"

Obito made a giant smile.

"No way."

"You haven't noticed her stomach?"

"No! We barely see her unless she comes around!"

Obito laughed like he would if they were at Ichiraku's.

He had hopeful eyes and a smile that gleamed. It hid the pain of what he had done, or rather, it overshadowed it. He endured the pain so others didn't have to.

Naruto looked away and his smile faded. Will he have to endure that same pain?

* * *

 **Sorry for the wait. I hated the Waves arc and wanted to write something that was much more than that. I did the whole chapter with only memory, except for one look at the manga. Never thought Haku's gender as much importance, but Zabuza is alive and will attempt another time in Yagura's life.**

 **I had trouble figuring out everyone's personality. I didn't care much to do Inari's or Tazuna's. Sasuke has a jealous drive, Sakura, after already having the person she wanted, wants to be reliable. Naruto wants to figure out just who he is. Obito, a good person who does horrible things.**

 **Things should start to speed up more speed next chapter.**


	3. Fu I

" _You cannot heal a lifetime of pain overnight, be patient with yourself, it takes as long as it takes to rebuild yourself."_

* * *

She had always thought of herself as lucky.

By the day's light, a ground path that led to the Village Hidden in the Leaves was revealed. Between the thousands parallelled, rustling trees, two figures walked through it. One woman was much taller than the other.

"Do you think they'll have a barbecue restaurant, Manita?" The shorter girl asked.

"I'm sure they do."

Like wind chimes, the mint-green hair that framed the shorter girl's face waved in the breeze. Her white poncho flapped like a flag. Near the collar, was a buckle while the holes to the buckle were at the bottom-middle of her poncho.

Her white undershirt had two diagonal slits on the back but hidden by the cape of her poncho, alike how her grey pants hid her pants above her knees.

"What about a candy shop?"

"Maybe. We'll know when we get there, right?"

Manita had medium-lengthed, black hair, striped with red streaks. A belt at her stomach wrapped her cotton-buttoned shirt.

They walked closer to the enormous set of doors that sat in Konohagakure barrier of walls. It's been a long walk of two days for them. Still, the girl felt exhilarated to explore this new place.

"Do you think we'll get to meet the Hokage?" From there, she could see the top of their heads on Konohagakure's famous Hokage Rock. There were fives faces, and she could see the top of their foreheads.

"Perhaps."

She shorter girl smiled and made her cheek form a dimple through her caramel skin. "It's okay if we don't, I just want to make some friends while we're here."

Manita squinted an eye and smirked at her. "What? Am I not good enough?"

Without dropping her dimple, she swayed her eyes away and she held up her hands to connect her index fingers together. "You're like a big sister to me so you don't count, silly."

Manita rolled her eyes away. "Whatever you say, Fū."

Fū smiled her white teeth at her. It seemed just like the other day they met, but it was only two months ago when Manita offered to buy her food.

The enormous doors were opened, and on the road after them was the sign-in booth. Two men sat in the booth. One with long brown hair, another with a bit shorter spiky hair. A bandage wrapped around his head and was held on by his nose.

The one with the brown hair smiled as the two girls walked up to them. "Hello, how are you two today? If you don't mind, we were told to have people sign in these months upcoming to the chunin exams."

By him, the spiky-haired one smile. "Jeez, Izumo. Why are you always so formal?"

"It's part of the job, Kotetsu."

Kotetsu flapped his hand towards him. "Yeah, yeah."

Manita took the clipboard from Izumo, wrote their names, and handed it back to him. Kotetsu took a quick peep at their names. "Fū, huh? You don't have an last name?"

Fū made a pouting smirk. "Takigakure isn't large enough to really warrant the need for surnames to those in orphanages."

"Oh," Kotetsu carefree grin dropped. "Sorry for bringing it up."

"Good going," Izumo said.

Fū waved her hands to them. "No, it's fine! Really! I love it when people talk to me!"

Izumo made a warmful smile, "Good. Maybe we'll see you during the chunin exams. It's still about a month away, though."

"Yeah, why'd you two come so early, anyway?" Kotetsu inquired.

Manita swayed her eyes to Fū then back to them. "Just cause."

It was because Fū wanted to make friends, and was too eager to leave the village for the first time. Ever.

Izumo tied his hands together. "Well, I hope you two enjoy your stay."

"Thank you," Fū said as she started to walk, Manita right by her side.

She looked up to the Hokage Rock. Everyone heard about the attack that took the Third and Fourth Hokage's life, letting Jiraiya, the current Hokage, step in. The economy of this village had bloomed, compared to Takigakure's low economy.

There was one road that went right up to the Hokage's Office, a giant strip with stores and restaurants on each side. Near the middle, a bridge over a huge water canal.

Manita pointed to the right. "I think the hotels are this way."

Fū slowly pointed to the restaurants. "But, food."

Manita rolled her eyes. "Fine. Meet me back here when the sun starts to go down."

"Really?!" Fū smiled. It was the most freedom she has ever had. With a curious finger on her lip, she looked at the strip. Where would she even go, first?

Manita folded her arms. "Yes, really. Just don't get yourself in trouble."

Fū swayed her eyes away as she connected her index finger. "I wouldn't do that."

"Mhm." Manita pointed to Fū's face, which made her fixate her eyes on the finger, only for Manita to flick her nose. Fū chuckled as she held her nose. "I'm serious."

Fū kept her smile as Manita waved back. She walked the opposite way, down the strip. It was such a joy of life compared to Takigakure's roadless village. This place was so urbanized, more like a city-state than a simple village. A clear blue sky blanketed above. In her village, her sky was full of the Hero Tree's branches.

Maybe, here, people wouldn't look at her with a disgusted expression, as if they wanted to erase her. She loved her home, her people, but she didn't love the way they looked at her like some kind of monster.

As she walked down the strip, she saw something called _Ichiraku's Ramen._ Her curiosity got the best of her. What's a ramen?

She pushed through the flapped that covered one side of the shop, and something peculiar happened. The young woman behind the counter _smiled_ at her. "Hi! How are you today? What can I get you?"

After a quick glance around, she saw the stools by the counter were empty. Surprised, Fū gaped her mouth and pointed to herself. "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course I am, silly!" The woman made a curious smirk. She was at most in her twenties.

Fū's face gleamed. "I saw your shop and wondered what a ramen was."

The young woman smiled before she tugged on the sleeve of the older man behind her. She then cuffed her hand over his ear and whispered, and like her, he grinned before he walked to her.

"Hello, young lady! You really never heard of ramen before?" Fū sucked in her lips and shook her head. "You're in luck! I just so happen to serve the best ramen in the country!"

She _was_ lucky. As she kept her eyes fixated on him, she rotated her head away to give him a skeptical look. "Do you have… barbecue flavored?"

The man's curved mouth lopsided. "Yes, yes we do."

* * *

A few minutes later, she used chopsticks to push strands of stringy noodles into her mouth. "This is so good," she said with a full mouth.

Ayame, the young woman, sat on the other side of the counter. She drank from a cup of tea as she asked Fū questions. "How old are you, Fū?"

A drop of the spicy broth dropped from her lips before she swallowed. "Twelve."

Ayame grinned as she let her chin rest on her standing arm. "Can't believe you've never heard of ramen. Does your village not have anything like that?"

With one hand, Fū held her chopsticks and placed a finger on her lips to think. A low, thoughtful hum came through. "Don't think so. And I grew up without ever leaving my village."

Ayame dropped her hands on the counter to make a loud slam, which made Fū grab her bowl full of broth just in time to keep it from spilling.

"Really?! Never?!

Fū made a blank expression and shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Never."

Ayame placed her elbows on the counter and let her face sink into the palm of her hands. "Wow. I can't even imagine that. I've always lived here, but you said your village only had about thirty buildings."

She let one of her hands drop while the other one held her hand. "Bet you know everyone there, huh? Like a big family?"

Not exactly. More like a family that hated her. Well, except for a select few like Manita and the leader. But, Fū smiled. "I love everyone there! I would do anything to protect them."

It was the truth, after all. Ayame gave a warm grin and looked over Fū's shoulder, to the Hokage Rock. "We're all family to the Hokage, here. I know if it came to it, they would protect us from anything."

Fū pouted as she stirred the broth. "Even I heard about what happened to the Third and Fourth Hokage."

Ayame made a glum face with her. "People don't really like to talk about it."

Fū eyes widened as she clamped her hands over her mouth. "Sorry!" She mumbled through her hands. All she really knew was that the Fourth Hokage gave his life to kill the Nine-Tails and that the Third Hokage also died that day. At least, that's what Manita told her.

Ayame smiled. "It's alright, just thought I'd let you know." She peered into the bowl. "Don't like the broth?"

"Oh," Fū promptly took the bowl to gulped it down in just a small moment. As she dropped it on the counter, she let out a satisfied breath. She loved spicy food, she just didn't want to be rude while they talked.

Ayame chuckled. "You're just like Naruto, always drinking the broth at the end."

"Naruto?"

She nodded. "Yep. He comes by here often but is _never_ dissatisfied. He, too, forgets to pay."

Fū perked up and scrambled to get out her wallet, but stopped when Ayame placed her hand on the counter. "Don't worry about it. Teuchi said it's on the house."

Fū gaped her mouth and gawked at Ayame. "Really?" Ayame nodded at her. "Thank you, I don't really know what to say." Just that she loved this village, already.

"Don't mention it."

As Fū stood up from the stool, she turned back to Ayame. "Any suggestions where I should head to, next?"

Ayame peered up at her own invisible thought cloud. "You could go visit the Ninja Academy, there are the hot springs close to the hotels, and you could see the entire village from the top of the Hokage Rock."

Fū glanced up at the Hokage Rock. "All the way up there?" She smiled and waved Ayam goodbye as she left the restaurant. "I'll come back to eat here, soon!"

Maybe she'll me that Naruto character.

* * *

As she climbed the hidden, ascending staircase ridged behind the mounted faces, the wind blasted her hair. She laughed as she brushed her hair back to stay out her face. Up there, it was such a grand sight. She could see every single building from up here.

Usually, she had a high spot in Takigakure that she could look _out_ of, but here, it was the exact opposite. Much like how she was treated.

Once she reached the top of the heads, she looked to the city and saw just how busy the main strip was. Beyond the walls, she could see the thousands of green trees. Even from there, the walls looked huge and impenetrable.

Still, it wasn't as much protection her own village had. It's called the most secret of the Hidden Villages for a reason. Although, it's likely this village had a barrier like them, just not able to be seen by the naked eye.

The white, fluffy clouds in the light blue sky strayed pass over her like the wind, never blocking the sun for more than a mere moment. She held her arms up to let her poncho flap behind her and let her tan skin warm up with the sun.

Her dimple showed with her smile. She loved this. For so long, she felt like a bird in a small cage. Except, her cage was Takigakure. Shibuki's father just wanted to protect her, she knew that, but now Shibuki was the leader. They didn't have a "Kage," those rights were reserved to the Great Five villages. Konohagakure and Takigakure had a good relation, unlike the one Taki had with Kumogakure.

It's just a good thing they could never find their village.

At the time of their formation, Takigakure sought to assassinate the First Hokage, Harashirama Senju, which was a failed attempt. Kakuzu, the assassin they had sent, returned to only face imprisonment for his failure. He escaped, took the lives of several elders, and fled. However, that was so long ago that now, he would be dead.

Fū couldn't see the point of extreme violence. Maybe it's from her isolation that made her more nimble about it. At one point, she wanted to become a ninja to eventually leave the village and see the outside world, but thankfully Manita came around and gave her that chance.

Just what else was out there? What about the stars she used to look up at?

Would she ever be able to meet them?

She smiled, lowered her arms, and began to walk down.

* * *

The halls of the Academy, which was weirdly an attached building to the Hokage's Office, were vacant of everything but a few paintings and windows. She peeked into a classroom. There was a teacher in the middle of teaching his students.

Takigakure didn't have enough children to really have an Academy. What they had were peer groups and a leader. Usually, the leader was a Jounin, but sometimes a chunin had to take the leadership role. Even the leader, Shibuki, was only just a Chunin. It's just because of his father, Hisen, was the previous leader that he's the new one, now.

He was a magnificent man.

No one wanted Fū in their peer group. However, Hisen had made it a point where she needed to be taught, so Shibuki tried and then Manita began to fill that role when he became the leader.

She backed away from the door's window and walked farther down the hall until she got to a staircase. The administrative district of the building. Her index fingers connected as she looked at both sides of the hallway.

Quickly, she walked onto the staircase and ascended up to a wide, fancy hallway that curved circularly. Before she knew it, she stood in front of the Hokage's Office.

Was the Fifth in there?

She could knock and just meet him, right?

She smiled and made a light knock.

Nothing.

She pouted her lips and rotated around, but then she smirked and made her dimple show. What's the worst that could happen? She bugged into Shibuki's house all the time. She quickly rotated back around and gently opened the door!

"Hey, Jiraiya, what's the… Rasengan?" The boy in the office had his feet on the desk as he read from a giant scroll.

Fū slightly gaped her mouth as she stared at him. "Are you the Hokage's son?" She asked.

The boy held the scroll to his side to look at her. He had big, blue eyes and blonde hair. "Oh, yeah, sure." He held the scroll back to his face, but quickly moved it back to his side and gave a curious expression. "Who are you?"

She placed her finger to her mouth as she closed the door behind her. "Fū, I'm new in town and wanted to look around."

"Well, Jiraiya probably snuck home to drink. I had the day off so I came here to try to-" The boy stopped talking. "To get some quiet."

"Oh, I'll leave then."

Fū reached for the door, but a man phased through it, and through her. Fū bug-eyed as she froze from being terrified.

"There you are. I've been looking for you."

Fū quietly opened the door and left, but was met with a tall, huge man with white hair in front of her. The Fifth Hokage.

"Hey," he said as he walked around her.

Fū gave a quizzical look as he entered his office, but looked to her front to leave. Maybe right then wasn't the best time to meet the Hokage. His eyes were littered with circles of tiredness.

What a weird boy, though. He was about her age, so why would Jiraiya have a son at his age if he himself was fifty? Who was the mother? As she got back to the strip, Fū glanced behind and to the Hokage rock. He looked more like Fourth Hokage.

It's better than herself, though. She's been an orphan since she was four after a freak accident. Much like the night of the Nine-Tails, it was a bit taboo to talk about. She's always had to fend for herself, especially when the leader wasn't around to help her. People hated her. Always had.

The strip was still alive, but the sun had steamed down and made an orange, tangy sky above. People smiled as they passed her. It was so bizarre, after all the hateful looks from Takigakure, she didn't really know how to react except by smiling back.

Fū came to the bridge that looked over the gorgeous water canal. Within Takigakure, there were hundreds of waterfalls and streams. It's not called the Village Hidden in the Waterfalls for nothing.

She came to where she's to meet Manita at, but as she got there, she noticed two dark-skinned men white hair that stood in an inconspicuous corner of an aisle. They glared at her similar to how someone from Takigakure would before they left through the alley.

"There you are," Manita said as she approached behind Fū. "What'd you do?"

"I ate ramen and walked to the top of the Hokage Rock."

Manita made a smirk and skeptically looked at her. "Is that all?"

Fū index fingers connected as she swayed her eyes away and made a nervous chuckle. "And, I might have snuck into the Hokage's office."

Manita eyes raised. "You what?! Did anyone see you?!"

"Yeah, I don't think they cared." Fū scratched the back of her head as she made a giant smile.

Manita rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. Jeez. I thought a village incident was about to be among us. Let's just get to the hotel. Aren't you tired?"

"Yeah, I am," Fū said through a yawn. They hadn't camped once on the way there. She made fists in the air and stretched. "So, what kind of hotel do we have?" She asked.

* * *

The seventh story hotel room wasn't the most grand, but it was better than her own apartment back at Takigakure. It only had one bathroom and a bedroom with two mattresses. As comfortable they were, Fū couldn't get back to sleep.

She looked over to the other mattress that Manita slept in. "Manita?" No answer.

Fū made a soft groan but smiled as she slowly got out of bed to slip her shoes on. Most kids her age would sneak out the front door, but she instead walked to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She could see the night from the small window as she pushed it up.

Quietly, she crawled out of the window. With chakra focused to her feet, she stood on the side of the building, gently closed the window, and crawled like a bug to the top of the building.

Once she got there, she sat at the edge. She was never afraid of heights, but the same couldn't have been said about drowning. The village, it was so calm and quiet, with only seldom noises of crickets and winds. In Takigakure, the constant noise of waterfalls was always near.

The wind made chimes out of her hair as she stood up. Although it was a little cold outside, she didn't want her poncho to get in the way. She raised her arms and closed her eyes. In the two slits on the back of her shirt, two pairs of two insect-liked wings formed out of chakra.

They started to flap. She jumped off the building and towards the moon as she flew over the buildings and streets. Like a bird that was uncaged, she could never do this in Takigakure, but right now, she felt so… free.

She flew over the forest close to the water canal until she heard a yell. "Damn it!"

Fū slowed the flap of her wings to land on a tree branch, above whoever just yelled. It was that boy in the orange hoodie and blonde hair, the son of the Hokage. He had a balloon in his hand.

He took a deep breath, and with his other hand, touched the top of the balloon. It looked like it was a water balloon. Was he practicing chakra control? Was he as bad as her at it?

She smiled as she sat on the branch to watch him. He must have been so frustrated that he didn't hear her land.

After a full minute of him trying to churn the water in the balloon, he angrily stood up. He threw the balloon to a tree and made it burst.

"Good going," Fū said with a lightful tone.

The boy looked at her. "Who's there?"

She hopped off the branch, landed on the ground, and took a few steps to reach her hand out to him. "Fū. Remember me?"

He made a grin and took her hand, which was littered with scabs and blisters. Just how much was did he push himself? "Yeah, I sure do. Why are you out here, though?"

Fū slight rotated her head away and gave him a curious look. "I could be asking you the same thing."

"Just trying to practice some Jutsu my dad created before I was born. Your turn."

She placed her arms behind her backs. Just as she hopped down, her wings disappeared so he wouldn't see them. The last thing she wanted was for the Hokage's son to think she's a freak. Or worse, discover how she's able to make the wings in the first place.

"Couldn't sleep. I wanted some fresh air. So, you must be a ninja?"

He made sorrowful, wide eyes before he swayed them away. "Yeah. I am."

Fū sucked in a cheek and tilted her head. "You don't seem too happy about it."

"It's just, I thought I'd be helping people."

Fū leaned her head down to make their eyes meet. "Well, you do, don't you?" He nodded, and she smiled and made her dimple show through her cheek. "Then, that's all that matter!"

His frown curved upright. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

Fū smile went sour as she rubbed the top of her arms. Although she had arm warmers on, they didn't cover her cold shoulders. "Why it get so cold all of the sudden?"

"Want my hoodie?"

"But, that's yours."

He was already unzipping it. "So? I'm not the one cold."

After she quickly grabbed it out of his hands, he chuckled. Instead of wearing it, she just placed it on backward to cover her arms and shoulders. "You never told me your name, just that you were Fifth's son."

He gave her a funny look, "The Fifth's son? Wh- oh, no. My bad. I'm not his son. After my parents died, he adopted me."

Fū placed her hands over her mouth and accidentally dropped his jacket. "Sorry! I didn't mean to-"

He chuckled. "It's fine. I never met them. My name is Naruto."

Fū pointed to his face. "Ayame told me about you! She said we were alike when it came to drinking the ramen broth!" She said with a smile.

"All at once, out of breath?"

"Mhm," Fū nodded her head.

Naruto picked up his jacket and pushed it back on. "I should probably get going."

Fū pouted. "Oh. Will I see you around?" Besides Ayame, he was the first acquaintance that wasn't just doing their job.

He had a warm grin on his face as he took a thoughtful glance at her. "Yeah, I think you will. I'm hard to miss."

She waved him goodbye, and after she rubbed her shoulders, she started to walk back to the hotel. Hopefully, Manita hadn't woke up.

As she looked around to make sure no one was around, she looked at the twinkling stars. She presented her wings and took a leap up. However, a chain wrapped around her ankle and made her fall to the ground. She looked back and saw a dark-skinned, masked man with the chain in his hand. Why didn't she notice him?

"Who are you?" Fū asked as she tried to push the chain off.

A shorter man walked from behind the tree. He pulled down his collar to show a headband. Cloud Ninjas, from Kumogakure.

"It was so easy to find the jinchūriki, and we didn't even have to do anything but follow you."

Fū eyes turned sour. "Followed me? For how long?"

"Since we saw you here. We were about to give up on finding Konohagakure's jinchūriki."

She didn't even know they had one. As she was about to speak, she bit her tongue. No way she could tell them she wasn't Konohagakure's jinchūriki! That would just mean there would be another victim along with her!

"We just had to be sure before we revealed who we were, and then you made those wings. Only a monster could do that."

A monster. That's what they always called her.

Fū focused chakra to her hand and slashed the chain to break free, but the other man lashed another chain and wrapped around her hand. A sudden shock came from it, almost paralyzing her. Certainly weakened her.

"We came prepared for anything," the taller ninja said.

They walked closer and chained her hands, and let her catch a glimpse of their red-stained sleeves. Just who did they kill to get her? She felt guilty. She had cost people their lives.

The shorter one with the white, short hair placed a seal on her mouth and made her unable to speak. After they forced her up, the taller cloud ninja led as the shorter one walked behind her, each with a grip on the chains.

She felt dizzy, but she wasn't done yet. As they led her through the forest and probably to a way out of the village, she closed her eyes and twitched her finger.

On her fingertip came a little beetle.

It's only with the thing that was within her she could do this.

The beetles could only understand the most simple messages, nothing too specific. Unless if she had time to concentrate her chakra, but she's too much of in a bad situation to do that.

" _Go, get help from someone with my scent. Lead them here."_

The beetle buzzed off. With luck, it'll go to Manita. It's hard to explain, but once it bites someone, it'll funnel her chakra into them and let them know how to find her. Like a temporary network.

The stretch of the forest led straight to the wall under a torii, and under it, a little hole. There had to be more to Konohagakure's defensive wall, right? Like some detection barrier? After the front Cloud ninja performed a hand seal, a transparent purple encased the three of them.

"You were probably hoping Konohagakure's detection barrier would alert their Barrier Team, but my friend here is part Kumogakure's own Barrier Team," the one behind her said. So, of course, he would know how to get past one.

Fū's eyes grew sorrowful as the one behind her pushed her through the hole, and into a field of shady trees. Just what did they plan to do with her? Why did Kumogakure need a jinchūriki, anyway?

Shibuki told her that it meant to be a human sacrifice.

It was a brief memory, so long ago. So many details disappeared along the way.

When she was four, she was out playing one night in her village, when suddenly, her house exploded into a giant, blue, armored rhinoceros beetle with six green insect wings, and a tail. It was such a weird, unique, _magnificent_ creature.

People screamed and ran away from it, but the young Fū walked closer to it. Unafraid, curious, _sad._ Her mother and several others were dead because of it, but she felt the creature's own sorrow. It- _she_ didn't mean to do it. Her mother just couldn't contain her and the seal broke.

She stood at the bank of the water. The monster flew over the lake, by the giant tree that resided in the middle of their home's giant crater made from mountain ridges.

Like a waterfall that was split by a huge rock, a team of Takigakure shinobi ran past Fū. One of them had a giant scroll. "We need to seal the Seven-Tails!"

"Where is Hisen?" Another yelled.

Suddenly, a thousand water particles turned into water lotuses and rained down over the monster. As they expanded in size, like thousands of razor blades, they sliced and cut the beast.

The lotuses turn back into particles of ice and water and sprinkled dark night. Like snow.

"It resisted his Lotus Light Rupture!" A ninja yelled.

It weakened the giant beast, but it didn't keep it down. It flew over the lake and to the far mountain ride, but it couldn't escape thanks to the Hero Tree's branches and barrier.

With a look of despair, the man dropped the scroll and looked up at the beast. "How could we hope to contain such a beast?"

A man with brown hair and a goatee jumped in front of them. In his hand, he had a bottle of water. Hisen.

"Master Hisen!"

"He has the hero water!"

The gentle, powerful leader smiled as he looked to Fū. He got to his knee to meet her face to face. "What's your name, dear?"

Fū stared at him blankly. "It's Fū."

He offered her a hand. "Would you mind helping our little village?"

She nodded and placed her small hand on his. He smiled just as the giant beast roared.

"Oh my god," one of the shinobi's said in disbelief.

Fū looked to the Seven-Tails. It began to charge up a massive, dark ball of chakra.

"Give me that scroll," Hisen said. The shinobi looked at him with wide eyes before he tossed the scroll to Hisen. Once he grabbed it, he crouched to the ground. "Fū, grab onto my back and don't you let go! No matter what!"

Fū nodded and wrapped her hands around his neck. He stood up and drank the weird bottle of water.

"He drank so much of it," a shinobi said.

"That could kill him!"

Another looked at the charging ball of power. "What if it's not enough?"

Hisen chunked the bottle to the ground and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. A blue aura surrounded him and flowed like a fire.

"Here it comes!"

"Fū, hold on!" Hisen yelled.

He slapped his hands into the water and made the entire lake of water in front of them raise up into a solid barrier, several meters in depth. It curved spherically, towards the Tailed-Beast.

A sudden _warp_ sound was made when the wall suddenly shattered and the ground under them cracked. The entire world shook under them.

Hisen sprinted forward onto the water and did a weird symbol with his hand. Like stepping stones, the water in front of him raised up to let him walk up to it. "You alright, Fū?!" She nodded from behind him as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Her legs were wrapped around his gut.

"The barrier under the tree was designed to suppress her chakra. That's why her attack wasn't as devastating as it could have been!"

He called the monster her, unlike the others.

The beast scurried over the ridge, up against the suppression barrier. It began to bash it to try and get out, much like a bird in a cage.

As Hisen got to the ridge, he threw the scroll and made it unroll near to under the flying beast. He placed Fū down under the beast and ran back to scroll to began to perform more weird hand signs.

However, the monster suddenly looked at him and used its tail to knock him to the ground. He groaned from the pain. Fū had placed her arms over her head and lumped to the ground, but as she looked back up, the monster stared back.

Fū eyes widened as her mouth slightly gaped.

"Fū! Run!" Hisen strained to yell.

Fū sucked in her lips for courage, but she stood up, brushed off the dirt of her white dress, and looked at it. "Hello."

It said nothing back.

But, she knew the beast knew her. It-she was inside her mother, and she was sorry. They both were.

"It's not fun. They all look at you like a monster." Fū raised her hand to the beast. "But, I forgive you. It's not your fault my mom died."

Hisen took a deep breath as Seven-Tail's tail released him from the ground. He took no action and merely watched as he started the hand seals.

"I'm Fū. What's your name?"

The Seven-Tails stared back at Fū for a long moment, before finally one of its legs reached out to Fū's hand. "It's Chōmei," the beast spoke back with a gentle voice.

Suddenly, Hisen appeared behind Fū and placed his hand on her back. The beast waited patiently for itself to be absorbed into the young Fū.

She blinked as she looked up at the stars on the other side of the invisible barrier Chomei tried to break through. The wind made chimes out of her hair as Hisen placed his hand on her shoulder, but she collapsed into his arms.

Even as the two Clouds ninjas took her through the dark forest, she smiled. Because, ever since that day, she always thought of herself as lucky.

* * *

 **I wanted to make Hisen strong as fuck, but not at a Kage level.**

 **I kind of regret not starting with this chapter because I think as Fu being more of the main character, although both her and Naruto are. And I needed to show Naruto's character first.**

 **Also, this is not a Naruto not killing story. Can't say the same for Fu. I'm too lazy to accent the U in her name in the Author Note.**

 **If you're not familiar with the barrier I was talking about, look up Barrier Team.**

 **I worked hard on this chapter. I'm really trying to make my writing feel alive! Let me know how I may improve or what I did well on!**


	4. Fu II

" _Sometimes it takes losing everything you have to finally grow and find yourself."_

* * *

The further they walked East, the more Fū could smell water. Her beetle failed to get any help and it was pointless to attempt an escape. However, she couldn't bring it to herself to hate him, the Cloud ninja.

Kumogakure had the greatest military, so when they extract her Tailed Beast, it would be even more so. Even though the Great Five had a peace treaty between all of them, they were always at each other's throats, like siblings that never learned how to get along.

In terms of power, Takigakure was probably on top of the other lesser villages. She remembered Shibuki talk about how Takigakure frequently had skilled Jonin but nowhere near the degree of the Great Five Villages.

Still, her wrists were chained behind her back and quietly escorted away from safety gave her a chance to stare at the twinkling stars.

Ever since she was made a jinchuruki, people treated her like a bad luck charm. After Hisen sealed Chomei in her, and the hero water wore off, he went into a coma. Only his son, Shibuki, was nice to her. He sat her up with her own small home, a little bit away from the main village so she could have solitude from the judging looks and snarky whispers.

Once Hisen woke up a year later, Hisen taught her what it meant to be a jinchuriki and the basics of ninja techniques. However, Hisen fell ill from the lingering effects of the hero water.

Shibuki was then made the head. Things became very busy for him and was unable to take on the role of teacher for Fū. She had tried to attend the academy but she was often scolded for no reason and was often told to leave.

It was like that for some time, until Fū attempted to get some supplies and ran into Manita. She had dropped some supplies, and Fū helped her. It was strange, she had never heard of the woman before, and she didn't seem to have a heritage from the Waterfall Village, just a small file in Hisen's cabinet that said she lived there since she was born.

Whoever she was, Fū didn't care. She was like a big sister, one who loved her and didn't care about the thing within her.

Fū wouldn't know what to do without her, but hopefully, the opposite wasn't true, because she was being taken away. The man had been quiet for some time. It wasn't quite morning yet, the moon lingered behind them. She still wasn't able to talk due to the seal on her mouth, so she mumbled.

The man with the mask glanced over his shoulder, "I suppose we're far enough that the seal isn't necessary." He looked back to his front. "But I have no desire to hear you talk."

Fū's eyes dampened. What if she had to use the bathroom?

As they walked farther, she noticed a river. In that river was a small boat, enough for two people. "Get in."

There wasn't any use of fighting him. She got in and sat, but he stood behind her and began to row. That shock from his chain really exhausted her, and after the long walk, she couldn't help but fall on her side and sleep, for just a little bit.

It was the most horrible sleep, ever. The sound of the oar stroking the water was somehow calming, even if it did carry her to her demise.

The Cloud ninja hadn't moved an inch and noticed she opened her eyes. "I see you're finally awake. We're almost to the docks."

She pulled herself to sit up in the boat but made no attempt to look at the man. He must have noticed because he started to talk to her. "If you think I hate you because you're a jinchuruki, you would be wrong. It's your village that I hate, the one who took my sister away."

She glimpsed at him from the side of her eye. He sat on the boat's bench. "She had her own beast in her, but someone from your village killed her and took the monster. Actually, we had reasonable suspicion it was the boy you were talking to, the Fourth Hokage's son."

She widened her eyes as she listened. He had killed someone? Of course, he has. He's a ninja, after all. She used to want to be a ninja herself when she hoped to leave the village on missions. Well, she had really seen the outside world, now.

"The only reason I didn't kill him right there was because I wanted your disappearance to look like you had run away. That village, it hates you, right? Take pleasure in knowing it will no longer exist after you're gone."

Gone? What did he mean gone? She ferociously mumbled as she wiggled her body but the man closed his eyes as she hunched over to look at his. "As I said earlier, I have no interest in hearing what you said. I do not want to grow any empathy for you."

Fū shot him a look, but beyond his shoulder, she saw someone in the tree. The figure leaped to a closer, higher branch, one that wasn't in the shadows, and that was when she saw the orange jacket. She thought back to earlier when she asked Naruto if she would see him around. He had said, " _I think you will. I'm hard to miss."_

Naruto held his index finger to his lips so that she would be quiet. She looked back at the man but mumbled nothing. "Don't give me that look," he said.

She made a hard breath and scooted herself to the front of the boat. Naruto jumped down and dived into the water. The man hurried and looked behind to see the enlarging circles in the water. "What made that splash?!"

Fū stood up on the boat. He looked back with a suspicious glare. "You. Sit. Down."

Just as Naruto punched through the bottom of the boat and grabbed the man's ankle and pulled him into the water, Fū focused chakra to her feet and used a powerful jump to land at the coast. It was all the energy she gotten back from her nap. She couldn't do much with her hands bound by the chains, or her mouth sealed. Due to the dark night, she couldn't see what was happening in the water.

Suddenly, water splashed up as someone was shot out of it. Naruto flopped and rolled on the ground by Fū. In the river, the man walked out of the water like it was stairs. "So the Hokage's legacy followed us. This has to be my lucky day."

Naruto spat out water as he pushed himself from the ground and looked to Fū. "What are you still doing here? Run!"

Fū shook her head, she wanted to scream that she wouldn't leave him. How could she when he came all this way?

"You aren't going anywhere." The man jangled his chain to threaten it against her. "This is _your_ fault, anyway. You took not only my sister's life, but you also took her tailed-beast. So we'll take yours from this girl."

Fū looked eagerly to Naruto and saw his confused, hurt eyes pointed to her. She has seen those exact same eyes in people before when they're told she was a "monster." Then, they never talked to her, again.

Naruto gave the same look to the Kumo ninja, "We never did _anything_ to your jinchuruki, and even if we did, you have the wrong person! She is not our jinchuruki."

"What are you getting at?" The man pointed at Naruto. "All the evidence we have tells us not only was it a Konohagakure ninja that took Yugito's life and stole the Two-Tails, but that it was _you_! And if this girl isn't the Leaf Village's jinchuruki, then who is?"

"It's me, the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. You've been fed bad information because I had never met another jinchuruki until tonight."

Fū gazed at him. Him? Did they really make the Fourth's son the jinchuruki?

The man grinned. "Oh," he smiled. "That is very… _very_ interesting, but you can explain it all it after I take you back to Kumogakure."

The Cloud ninja threw his weighted-chain. Naruto made a shadow clone in-between them, who turned into a large, metal pole. The chain grabbed onto that and got tangled. Naruto threw several shurikens, the man did a hand sign and made a tile of earth carve itself from the ground and block them.

Naruto jumped over the tile, tackled him to the ground, and punched him as the man tried to defend with his arm. Between Naruto's punches, the man grabbed the boy's neck. Hard.

"That's enough. I don't have time to play, I have to carry you all the way back to the docks since you destroyed my boat." The man generated a shock from his arm. Naruto made a painful screamed before he became unconscious. "I wished I could kill you right now and avenge my sister, but my mission is to bring you alive."

Fū kept her stare on them as she succumbed to her knees. She tried her hardest to break the chains at her wrists. Had he known the same pain she has known? The same loneliness? " _I need to help him_ ," she said to herself.

"Still struggling?" The man dropped Naruto to the ground and looked at Fū. "I suppose I can't let you go or else you would tell. We can't have Konohagakure prepare for what's coming to them, not that they can do anything to stop it."

This is all her fault. She shouldn't have come out by herself. She knew the dangers, yet she persisted, and for what? Some freedom? She wasn't lucky. No, she was unlucky, a bad luck charm, just like how the people viewed her back at Takigakure.

She wanted friends, for people to depend on her, but she couldn't even save one person. Instead, the people around her just seem to suffer. Fū choked as she sobbed, hunched to the ground, and pleaded for a miracle, for someone to save him.

"Get away from him!" She shrieked.

The man stopped. "What happened to your mouth seal?"

The sensation of power encumbered her like someone injected five liters of caffeine straight into her veins. Something energized her, something burned her skin, something gave her strength. A subtle, red glow bubbled around her skin, like a coat of chakra. A piercing pain struck her back as the chakra molded itself to look like wings and broke the chains that bounded her wrists.

"So you decided to use the Tailed-Beasts chakra instead of just running. Do you really think I wouldn't have been prepared for that?" He pulled out a chain and lashed it at her. There was a constant stream of electricity around it.

Fū brought her hands in front of her to form hand seals, sucked in her breath, and released a giant wind blast at him. His chain swirled away, him back into a tree, and threw Naruto even further back, beyond the trees.

The man struggled to get back to his feet. She rushed at him. She used her wings to gravitate and rotate her body around to lash a fierceful kick at him. He held his arm up to block it but it just forced him to skee over the water, and to the other side of the coast. He flopped to the ground with no attempt to get up.

Fū ran to Naruto and tried to shake him awake. "Naruto? Come on, wake up."

She heard footsteps and jerked her face to the side. The Kumo ninja had gotten up and limped this way. With each step, he made heavy, angry breaths through his mask.

However, some person in some dark clothes appeared seemingly out of nowhere between them. The Kumo ninja wasn't taken back. In fact, he looked delirious as he tried to attack the new stranger, only to be struck down immediately by a kunai.

Fū gawked her mouth. Although she wouldn't have wanted the man dead, she was grateful. However, she felt weaker than anything, as if all the energy she had vanished, and fell over.

* * *

Next thing she knew, she was in some… place. Dark, endless, and filled with random sizes of rectangular prisms. But it was also with everyday objects, such as a basket of laundry. To her side was a sleeping Naruto on a blanket.

Fū shook him and he darted to sit up. "Huh? What?"

"What do you mean 'huh? What?' Where are we?!"

He took a quick glance around, but instead of a freak out, he just said, "Oh."

"Oh?!"

"This is my teacher's pocket dimension. He was there incase I couldn't take him. Guess that guy got me."

"This was a training exercise for you?!" Fū snarked. She had never snarked at someone before.

He smiled, "Obito's idea." He rubbed his neck. "Hurts."

Fū frowned, "Sorry. I should be more thankful."

"No need. How could anyone let someone take a sweet girl like you away?"

She smiled at the word sweet.'"People usually only see what's inside."

"Isn't it what's on the inside that counts?"

She gently shook her head and gave him a confused look, "I think it's what is on the inside that scares them. The Tailed-Beast."

He popped his eyes and smacked his forehead, "Oh! Right. Jiraiya tells me all the time how some jinchurikis are treated and that I should be thankful he adopted me."

Fū looked away and made a sad face, "Yeah… I'm glad you never had to experience such things."

His face blanked, "Sorry, Being insensitive again. I've… never really met another jinchuruki, before. Never used it's chakra, before, either."

"I can grow wings on my back, which uses a small amount of Chomei's chakra, but tonight was the first time-"

"Wait. Chomei?"

Fū nodded. "They have names. You didn't know?"

Fū talked about Hisen and her entire story about meeting Chomei, Naruto talked about how Jiraiya came to be his godfather. They talked about their goals, Fū wanted people to like her, Naruto wanted to be remembered and be put down in history.

Eventually, they both fell asleep. Luckily, Obito had some pillows laying around… but even after they both woke up, they were still there. "Hope he hadn't forgotten about us."

Fū gave him a concerned look, "Would he really?" Naruto made a nervous chuckle which made her roll her eyes, "Great. So we're stuck in here until he remembers?"

Suddenly, and rapidly, they both got twisted from the pocket dimension and thrown back into the real world. With a painful grunt, Naruto landed on the Hokage's desk, Fū onto the chair on the far side.

"Seriously, Obito?" Jiraiya said.

Fū sat up and gave the man with spiky, black hair an irritated look as he chuckled and scratched his head. "Sorry," he said. "I forgot."

Naruto pushed himself from the desk and stood. "What time is it?!"

Jiraiya ignored him, walked to Fū, and crouched down. "Hello, young miss. Are you alright?"

Fū nervously nodded. "I have a headache but yes, I'm alright."

He gave a warm grin, "Don't worry, I'm assigning these two idiots to be your bodyguards for the rest of your stay here."

She made a sad face and rolled her eyes away, "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

"Trouble? Without you, my son would probably be a prisoner. If you hadn't taken his place and sent a beetle, who knows what would have happened?"

"Godson. Not son," Naruto said just before he opened the door to leave.

However, a moment after the door closed and Fū stood up, Manita rushed through the doors. "Mister Hokage! My sister has disappeared! I- Fū?"

Fū held her hands behind her backs and shyly looked at the floor, "Hi, Ita."

Jiraiya coughed, "Sorry for the worry, I was just getting to know Fū here. It's not every day I get to meet the Takigakure jinchuruki."

Manita made a nervous chuckle, "Jinchuruki? Whatever do you mean?"

Jiraiya smiled, "Settle down, I have no reason to believe that a sweet, little girl like _her_ is a threat. But I am wondering why you two are here. It's not anything diplomatic or I would have known."

"I came to make friends," Fū said.

"What she means is that we came here to see the chunin exams," Manita continued. "And to be away from our village for some time."

"Ah, right. The chunin exams." Jiraiya turned to Naruto's teacher. "Have you decided if your three students will be participating? I bet Fū here would like to see my godson fight in the last round."

"Picking favorites?" Obito smirked.

"No, I just know him that well."

From what Naruto told Fū, her first impression of Jiraiya was that he was a drunk, didn't take his responsibility as Hokage seriously, and had no faith in Naruto. However, it looked like it was the complete opposite.

Fū followed Manita out of the office. Once they were a few feet from the door, Manita who crouched down to inspect her. "So, when exactly were you planning on telling me you snuck out?"

Fū sucked in her cheeks, "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry."

"And with a boy! Honestly! The least you could have done was leave a note if you planned on being out all night! What if they turned hostile when they found out you were- well, you know."

She thought she was with Naruto? The entire night? It was an out, so she rolled with it. "But, he was really nice, and-" Fū cuffed her hands around Manita's ear to whisper. "He's a jinchuruki, too."

Manita popped her eyes, "Are you serious?" Fū nodded. "Just how much trouble did you get into?!"

"A lot, actually."

Manita rolled her eyes, "I guess I can let it pass. You must have been very excited to meet someone like you."

Fū smiled, "You have no idea."

Obito came through the door, "Fū, want to come meet my team?"

"Can I really?"

"But, I just got you back," Manita said.

Fū looked up at Manita with pitiful eyes, "Please? I'll see you when I get home! Promise!"

Manita rolled her eyes and exhaled a deep breath. "Fine. I'll be at the hotel." She jerked her attention to Obito and poked his chest. "But _you_ better take good care of her! Got it?"

Obito made a nervous smile, "Nothing will happen to her as long I'm around."

Fū followed Obito to a classroom, in which Naruto and two others sat at a desk. "Good morning, sensei!" The pink haired girl said. The third teammate was a serious looking, black haired boy.

"Hey," he walked in, Fū stood next to the door frame after she closed it. "This is Fū, a resident in the Village Hidden in the Waterfalls. We'll be her bodyguards the remainder of her stay."

As the genin-girl saw the two boys were uninterested, she gave Fū a smile. "Hi, I'm Sakura. This is Naruto and Sasuke." She then turned to Obito. "Why does Fū need protection? Other ninjas don't protect other visitors."

"Because," Obito started. Fū gazed at him. Was he about to tell him about her being a jinchuruki? "She's the princess of Takigakure."

Naruto gawked his mouth, "Seriously?! Why didn't you tell me you were a princess?!"

Fū couldn't tell he was serious and had forgotten all that they had talked about last night, or was playing dumb. "Cause," Fū mumbled. "I didn't think it was important."

Sakura eyed him a furrowed eyebrow, "What do you mean, Naruto? You two have already met?'

"Naruto is always getting into situations like these," Sasuke said. "I bet he almost got her hurt, and that's why the Hokage wants us to protect her."

"That's not it at all!" Obito waved his hands to get their attention. "Whatever the reason, we need to protect her no matter what. Now, the Hokage gave us two D-Rank missions so let's get on that. First is which, trash duty."

"No, you can't be serious!" Naruto said. "Last time, I smelled for a straight week!"

Sasuke made an arrogant grin, "That's because you don't shower."

Naruto gave Sasuke a distasteful, disgusted look. "Says the one who has gunk in their gums!"

Sasuke was taken back and gave a sincere glare back at him. Sakura stood, combed her hair back, and used a hair-band to tie her hair up. "Let's just do this, you two."

"I can help, too," Fū told Obito.

He smiled. "A princess touching trash? Yeah, right!"

* * *

There was an abundant amount of trash throughout the alleys of Konohagakure. Fū watched as Naruto made several shadow clones to retrieve the trash bags around the village and bring them into a dark building for Sasuke and Sakura to sort through. They wore giant, rubber gloves to protect their hands, and filter the burnables into bins. Konohagakure burned trash to make energy for the village. Then, they will recycle everything else.

If was a long day for them, more so for Naruto than anyone else. As soon as his clones dispersed, his back slid down the wall so he could sit. "Good job, Naruto," Obito said. "It really increased your endurance. Take the rest of the day off. The other D-Mission is just pulling out some weeds."

Naruto panted, "No, I can-" He pushed himself to stand. "I can keep going."

"You sure?" Obito gave a furrowed eye but as Naruto began to fall forward, he caught him. "Why do you always have to go all out with these simple missions?"

"Seems like he has something to prove," Fū said. Probably to be known as his own accord, not just the son or godson of the Hokage.

"That doesn't mean he has to nearly kill himself," Sakura said.

"Only an idiot would make so many shadow clones," Sasuke added.

Obito held Naruto over his shoulder and started to walk out of the building. "He'll be fine, he just needs some rest. You two go to the mission and start pulling the weeds. I'm going to take Fū back to her hotel then take Naruto home."

Obito walked Fū back to her hotel and quickly twisted himself out of reality for quick transportation. However, he told her exactly where he lived, just in case she needed him.

She went in, took the elevator up, and walked to her door. However, there was nobody in the room. It wasn't exceedingly late, but Manita said she would be here. Had she gone out for a quick bite?

Fū sat on the couch and waited. This must be how Manita felt when she was nowhere to be found this morning.

An hour past.

Then two hours.

And there was no sign on Manita.

Did she hate her? Had she abandoned her? Her stuff was still, here.

Fū used her wrist to wipe away her eyes and started to descend the stairs. Then, she headed the way of Obito's house. It was a bit far away, in the Uchiha Compound, a powerful clan of Konohagakure.

She had tunnel vision as she looked for the first street to the left, then the third house on the right. Everyone here had black hair and a sincere glare. But, as she knocked on Obito's door, a woman with a protruding belly and a gentle face answered the door. Unlike the rest, she had brown hair. "Hi, who might you be?"

Fū sniffed and wiped her nose with her sleeve, "Is Obito here?"

"Yes, of course, sweetie, come in," the woman said. As she closed the door behind Fū, she called out to the upstairs. "Obi! Come here!"

In just a moment, Obito peeked around the corner. He had on some comfortable clothes, not his ninja outfit. "Fū? What's wrong?"

Fū looked at her feet. "I think Ita left. She wasn't at the hotel."

Obito and the woman gave a confused look but he crouched down to comfort Fū. "Hey, she's probably just around town."

"But what if she hates me?" Fū sniffled.

The woman came nearer and got to her knees. "Aw, hun, it's nothing like that." She looked at Obito. "You two go and try to find her, alright?"

They checked the entirety of the hotel room and asked around town, but it appeared Manita had vanished out of thin air after she left the Hokage's Office that morning. Now, Obito led Fū to the Hoakge's Residence after he had a quick talk with the Hokage.

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble," Fū sadly said.

Obito grinned as he opened the door, "Hey, nothing that had happened is your fault. Okay?" Once he stepped in, he called for the resident. "Naruto! You there?"

A door opened, and down the steps came Naruto. "Uh, what's going on? Shouldn't Fū be back her hotel?"

"Ita is messing," Fū grimly said.

Naruto's face aged up with concern. "Missing?"

"I think it would be best if she stayed with you and Jiraiya while we get this sorted out," Obito suggested.

"Wait, what?! Not with you in a neighborhood filled with you Uchiha?! There's only one of me!"

Obito smiled and scratched the back of his head, "Well, with Rin pregnant and all."

Naruto glared at him, "Yeah, got it. Okay."

"Thanks!" Obito quickly turned around and shut the door behind him.

Fū, without so much of a glance at Naruto, sat on the couch. She felt her face had turned to a shade of red after she cried. Naruto gave a curious look as he walked the rest of the way down the stairs and sat by her. It was an awkward silence, but Fū didn't know what to say.

Fū jerked her head to face him. "Am I bad luck, Naruto?"

He was taken back from the odd question, "Bad luck?"

"Everyone around me suffers. It already happened to you."

Naruto shook his head no. "Not at all. Actually, one might say you're lucky."

Fū curled her sad eyes as she brought her knees up to hug. "Lucky? How am I lucky?"

"Well," Naruto looked to the kitchen. "It was lucky that we met, another jinchuruki, and that we were able to find you. It was lucky _you_ were there when Hisen needed to seal the Seven-Tails. It was lucky you calmed down Chomei and saved the village. If you were _unlucky_ , you might not have even met Manita. Instead, you're here wondering where she is because she's important to you."

Fū gave him a silent look before she looked at her hands. Naruto stood up, "It's getting late. Want me to show you where you'll be sleeping?"

"Sure."

After a quick walk up the stairs, Fū followed Naruto into a bedroom and watched as she retrieved a pillow and a blanket out of a dresser. "The couch is pretty comfortable, and seeing you're a princess under our protection, you should get my bed." Fū gazed at the bed as Naruto walked pass to leave the room. "Actually just washed my bed clothes earlier so it should be-"

Fū snatched his wrist. "Naruto?"

Naruto stared at her with an expression of confused fear. She hadn't meant to scare him, but her emotions were everywhere and she didn't know how to convey them. "Yeah?"

"I'm not a princess. All but a few people in Takigakure hate me. I told you that."

He smiled, "Of course, you aren't." Fū let go of his wrist and let him leave. "But here, you might as well be a princess because _I'll_ do anything to protect you. Wake me if you need anything."

Once the door closed, she let herself flop onto the bed. If Manita were not to return, she had no idea what to do. Most likely, she would have to go back to Takigakure and continue to be neglected by all but Shibuki. She wished she could stay in Konoha, a village that didn't care about the Tailed-Beast inside her.

Hopefully, she could come back and visit her new friends in Konoha after the chunin exams.

She felt herself passing out. She felt like she had forgotten something, something the Cloud ninja had said. Something about the village.

* * *

 **Short chapter. I want to speed it up a bit and get to the chunin exams. I've reconned a few things, there's only ONE Cloud ninja. It was easier to manage. Sorry for suchhhh a late update, I've been busy with college, depressed, and frankly, didn't want to write this story because I started writing another Fū story. Still, I want to finish this because it's not just about Fū.**


	5. Naruto III

" _I never believed in seeking perfection at the risk of losing everything."_

* * *

The couch could have been much worse to sleep on. It didn't take long for Naruto to fall right asleep. The turn of events since the yesterday's night had taken a turn for excitement. He had always wanted to meet another jinchuruki, but it came in a form of a sweet girl named Fu.

Obito reported what he heard the Cloud ninja said to Naruto, that there's "evidence" that says he killed their jinchuruki and took the Two-Tails. It's a rumor that could very well lead to a war. Most likely, a Kage Summit will be held. Hopefully, Jiraiya will be able to dispute the claim so that they may go find the Two-Tails.

That made two villages that hate Naruto for what others have done. Aside from being framed for the Two-Tails, Iwagakure has a distaste for Naruto because his father had killed a hundred of their ninja in the last Great War.

Maybe he _should_ cut his hair.

"Naruto! _Help!"_ Fu shrieked from above.

Naruto darted over the couch and ran up the stairs. It sounded like somewhat was coming at her with a knife! He bursted through his door, and saw no one, just an open window! With a quick sprint, he jumped from the window frame.

"Naruto!" Fu screamed from a small distance. Naruto jumped over the roofs until he got to a nearby rabble of trees, almost like a small forest.

A beetle landed on him. One of Fu's. He knew exactly where she was, now. He ran through the forest, eventually came to a stop to peek around a tree. Fu was tied to a tree by a masked ninja, one with a large hat and a Grass headband.

Just how many times can a girl get kidnapped?

Fu was trying to mumble through a cloth that stuffed her mouth but to no avail. "Hey!" The unnamed ninja yelled. "I know you're there!"

Naruto scowled before he walked within sight. "Don't you have anything better to do than kidnap a girl?"

From within his cloak, he pulled out a large kunai, at least three times the size, and teased Fu's neck with it. "Bring me the Scroll of Sealing and I'll let her go."

"Don't know where it is," Naruto said.

"Then you better go find it!" The ninja demanded. "Or her head will be my trophy!"

Fu made sorrowful and sorry eyes. Naruto gritted his teeth."Got it. One minute," he said before he rushed the other way.

He stopped at the edge of the forest and made a Shadow Clone. He remembered the appearance of the scroll well enough, and even knew the first technique in it, well enough to mimic it with a transformation jutsu.

As he was about to head back, he stopped and doubled back to his room to get something. In the drawer, a sheet of paper with a seal on it.

His clone transformed into a near perfect replica of the Sealing Scroll, and he ran to meet the ransomer. Fu was still tied to the tree, the man still stood in the same place.

"Here, I got it," he told the man. Naruto tossed the scroll for the grass ninja to catch. As he looked at the first page of the scroll and saw the first technique, Naruto pulled out the sealed paper from his pocket. "Much abide, but I'm afraid that's not good enough," the ninja said as pulled his hand up to attack Fu with the kunai. Fu closed her eyes and flinched away.

The scroll bursted in smoke. The clone grabbed onto the man while Naruto rotated around as if he was throwing a world league's baseball, grazed his hand over the seal, and threw the giant fuma shuriken that came out of it.

The man eyes popped open as he watched the fuma shuriken come his way. However, his eyes turned into two Sharingan, and the shuriken phased through and cut through the tree behind them.

Naruto gawked his mouth, "Obito?!"

"Sorry, he made me do it!" Fu said.

The man elbowed the clone in the face, and a huge burst of smoke covered them both until Obito walked out of it. "You almost cut me in half!"

"You were about to stab Fu!" Naruto shouted.

"I wasn't actually going to!"

"Not my fault my idiot teacher can't pull pranks without almost getting himself killed!'

Obito sneered, "It wasn't a prank. I was testing you."

"Uh, hello? May I be untied now?" Fu asked as she kicked her legs into the air. She narrowed her eyes at them. "Or do you two want to bicker some more?"

Obito smiled and began to reach for the rope. "Oh, I'm sorry, Fu."

Naruto grabbed his wrist to stop him. "I got it," he said as he used a knife to slice the rope and free Fu. "Thanks," she said.

"Uh, I hope you aren't mad at me." He handed something to Naruto. "It was to test you for this."

Naruto furrowed an eyebrow as he looked at it. "Chunin exams. It's here, already?"

"Soon enough. I'll be testing Sakura and Sasuke, too."

"I can't wait until I see you in the finals," Fu smiled.

Naruto grinned as he glimpsed at Fu then back at the ticket, "You have a lot of faith in my after that cloud ninja choked me like that."

"I have a lot of faith in you because you came and did everything you could to save me. Twice."

Naruto looked at Obito, "Won't this mean that genin from the Cloud and Stone come to the Leaf?"

Obito rubbed his chin, "You might want to cut your hair, maybe even dye it."

Fu furrowed confused eyes, "Why? What's wrong with his hair?"

"You know who's Naruto's dad is, right? Iwagakure sure does hate him. And now with Kumogakure having spite for Naruto himself, they may order a genin squad to come after him during the exam."

Naruto stuffed the paper into his pocket, "Ah, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Alright, if you say so, Naruto, but I won't be there to help you, this time."

"Obito?" Fu shyly called. "Has there been any news about Ita?"

Obito sadly shook his head sideways, "There is nothing to follow on. I'm so sorry, Fu."

Naruto waved concerned eyes as she sadly gazed away. "She'll turn up," Naruto said. He looked at Fu's clothes. She hadn't changed at all. "Hey, let's go back to my house."

Once they arrived there, te searched through the basement of his parent's old stuff, and pulled out a luggage case of some clothes. Fu leaned to look at the contents. "This is my mom's old clothes when she was about your age. I noticed you only had that single set. You're supposed to be a princess, right? Well, you can wear some of her old clothes if you want."

Fu gazed at him. Staring, even. Naruto looked back to the case and scratched his face. "Uh, I guess it's weird?"

"Not that," Fu said. "You just usually don't say more than ten words at a time."

"Oh." He looked at the clothes. On top was a pair of black shorts, a green obi, and a kimono-style blouse. "Don't have much to say. Hate filler words."

Fu gently got to her knees and picked up the blouse. "You would really let me wear your mom's clothes?"

"I mean," he looked at the blouse Fu was checking out. "Why not? Ya know?"

Fu made a subtle smirk as she eyeballed him, "Aren't those all filler words? You could have just said yes."

"Shut up!" Naruto grabbed the blouse, placed it back in the case, closed it, and picked it up. "It'll be in the bedroom. Try some on while I shower."

"Wait, Naruto?" Fu called. He stopped at the first step up the stairs. "Could we go to the hotel? I wanted to get Ita's stuff. I doubt she wanted anyone to get it."

* * *

After two showers and an hour later, Naruto followed Fu up the hotel and into the room. Manita didn't have much, just a messenger bag that Fu grabbed. "I never did know what was in here, just she always had it on her."

"Do you think there'd be a clue to where she was?"

Fu sucked in her lips. "But, I can't do that. She never let _anyone_ look into the bag. Not even me."

Naruto looked at the bag. It was so… normal. "I think it would be worth it, Fu. What if she's in danger?"

She nodded, "You're right." She unzipped the single pocket and looked into it, but Fu furrowed an eyebrow. "There's just… a small key."

"What?" Naruto looked into it. "Small. Looks like a key to a music box." Fu picked it up, observed it, and placed it back into the bag. "Do you think someone got to the bag, first? Or she had everything else with her?"

Fu slowly hugged the bag to her chest and fell to her knees. "There's nothing… here. Just that stupid key!"

Naruto gazed at her. He didn't know what to do. She started to cry into the bag. "There's nothing. Nothing! Nothing at all!"

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Fu, let's… let's get out of here."

Fu used the bag to wipe her tears, pulled Naruto's hand to stand up. However, as they both looked at the door, they both flinched at the sight of a young, red-haired boy with dark eyeliner. Or, maybe those were rings from insomnia.

Naruto took a step closer. "What is it?" Something about this boy shook his nerves.

"I was down the hallway and heard a cry," he had such a rough voice as if he was thirsty. After another brief look, the boy started to walk away.

However, Naruto spotted a Sunagakure headband on his giant leather strap. He quickly walked to the hallway. "Are you here for the chunin exam?"

"Yes," the boy turned around. "I'm Gaara, who are you?"

"Naruto Namikaze."

"Well," he turned around to walk. "I hope we see each other in the exam, Naruto."

Naruto watched as he disappeared around the corner before he looked to Fu. "Don't go near him," he whispered.

"Don't worry," she said. "My sixth-sense is telling me to stay far, far away.."

Naruto nudged his head the other way, "Let's find another exit."

"The exam is tomorrow. Are you going to go find Sasuke and Sakura, soon?"

"No." Naruto closed his eyes for a long moment. "If they want to go, they'll meet me there tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning, Naruto stood outside a large building with his two teammates and Fu. He looked at his ticket, "You two ready?"

"Just waiting for you," Sakura cheerfully said.

Naruto looked at Fu before he walked closer to lean on her. Fu popped her eyes open, but he had only lean to whisper in her ears. "There'll be Anbu protecting you, but stay with Obito."

Fu nodded, "Got it." As he was about to meet with the other two, Fu snatched his arm, pulled him closer, and tightly hugged him. "Do your best, okay?"

For him, it was awkward to be hugged, but she seemed to really enjoy his company. She barely had any friends, and now one of her few friends had just disappeared, so he hugged her back. "Sure, I'll do my best."

As Fu let him go, he caught a glimpse of a genin team that just walked past. One, who was watching them with a smile, had long blonde hair, and a cape like shirt that went over his shoulder and arms. However, Naruto didn't catch a glimpse of his headband.

Fu looked their way, "What is it?"

Naruto shook his head and tried to lighten up. "Nothing. Just don't get kidnapped for the third time."

"Third luck's the charm!" She smiled.

Naruto rolled his eyes and walked into the building. He saw no sign of Gaara or that one blonde genin he'd just seen. He forgot to ask Jiraiya if there would be any genin from Iwagakure or Kumogakure.

As they walked to the initial testing area, which was on the third floor, two ninjas tried to trick another genin into thinking that the _second_ floor was the third floor with a genjutsu technique. However, Sakura quickly pointed it out.

However, they caught the attention of an older leaf team. One boy had the Byakugan. "You're from the Uchiha clan," he said before he turned his eyes to Naruto. "On the same team as the legacy of the Hokage. Is your other teammate that lackluster that they needed _two_ prodigies?"

Naruto and Sakura were stunned by the comment and had to blink multiple times. However, Sasuke stepped in front of them. "The only one who is lackluster around here is you, loser. At least, compared to me."

The boy curved on side of his mouth, "Like the Hyuuga for their Byakugan, the Uchiha are famed for their Sharingan, how about showing me it?"

Sasuke made an arrogant smile, "Are you suggesting a mock battle? Like I would soil my hands on dirt like you."

The boy scowled at Sasuke, "Dirt? I'll show you di-"

The boy started to get into a stance, however, one of his teammates, the one who wore the green jumpsuit, called out to him, "Neji! Not here!"

Neji scowled disappeared once he closed his eyes and took in a breath. Then he smiled. "I'll show you who's dirt one way or another. Until then, Uchiha."

Naruto and his squad waited as Neji's and his own teammates walked past them and up the stairs. Naruto looked at Sakura, "You alright?"

She nodded, "We'll show him. Won't we, Sasuke?"

Sasuke, however, shoved his hands into his shorts and started to walk the stairs. Naruto thought the cold shoulder may be from the mention of the Sharingan, which he had yet to activate.

In the testing room, which had dozens of long tables with what looked like a hundred of other genins, they met up with their old classmates. On one team was Kiba, Hinata, and Shino, then Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji with their own team.

As Naruto gazed his eyes over the competition, on the watch out for any Cloud or Stone genin, Kiba moved closer to him. "Hey, maybe we can all team up against them, the nine of us."

Naruto felt a little more at ease after he didn't see any Cloud or Stone ninjas. Except, he didn't see that one blond genin from earlier, the one that watched Fu hug him. "Wouldn't be fair, working together."

"Ah, who cares about that as long we become chunin?"

Sasuke gazed back at them, "If we have to work as a group of nine, then we don't deserve the rank of Chunin."

"Shut your mouths and listen up!" At the front of the room, by the blackboard, smoke was spreading and fading. A man who wore a black trench coat over a grey uniform with the other dozen ninja behind him stood. His face was riddled with scars. "It's time to begin. I'm your proctor, and foremost, your enemy, Ibiki Morino.

Ibiki started to talk louder, "Now, we'll proceed to the first stage of the chunin exams. Hand over your paperwork," he held up a square with the number 1 written on it. "And in return, you'll each be given a number. This number determines where you will sit. We'll start the written test once you have all been seated."

A written test? Naruto had never been good with paper exams, so hopefully, the questions aren't too hard. His teammates were scattered across the room, with Sakura a few seats behind him, Sasuke on the other side.

Naruto was looked at the back o the paper until someone sat to his left. He glimpsed and saw it was the blonde from earlier, but his eyes strained once he saw the hourglass on his headband. He was a Stone ninja from Iwagakure, and he was smiling at him. "Man, a written test. What a drag. Hopefully, I don't _bomb_ it too hard."

Naruto smirked. Maybe he was just a regular genin and had no idea who Naruto's father was. "Me neither."

"So, what's your name, man? By the looks of your headband, I see this is your home village. Sure is a nice place. Mine's just full of stones, people included."

Naruto nodded, "It is a great place."

"Few in words I see," the boy grinned. "Don't worry, man. We can be friends. What's your name?"

"It's- Naruto." He couldn't say his last name or it would be obvious that he was the Fourth's son.

"Well, Naruto, my man, I'm Deidara. I sure do wish you luck on your test, man."

"You, too." He sure said

"You!" Ibiki yelled at Deidara. "Shut up and listen!" Ibiki stroked the chalkboard with chalk. "There are two rules everyone here needs to be aware of! Rule number one is this, I will only say this once!"

He explained as he wrote. Each person starts with ten points. For every question a person gets wrong, a point is deducted, but teams share the points. However, if one member gets a zero then the team fails. The tenth question won't be given out until the end of the period.

On both sides of the rooms is sentinel ninja to watch us, make sure we don't each. With each incident they spot, they'll deduct two points. "People who are caught by the sentinels don't deserve to be here," Ibiki had said.

Naruto scanned for questions he knew, which was only one, and even then, he was uncertain. He was sure Sakura would get at least a few rights, but he could only hope Sasuke somehow knew one.

After some time of looking at the paper, Deidara wrote away, as if he knew every answer on the test because he thought about it. The tick of the clock was eclipsed by all the crackling pencils on the papers.

"Uh, excuse me!" A genin raised a hand and called out. "Gotta use the can, sorry." It was a boy with purple paint striped onto his face, and a black, one-piece outfit. The bathroom? Naruto had an idea.

"Hey! May I go, too?"

Ibiki observed both the boys. "A sand and a leaf genin. Fine. Just hurry up."

After a sentinel handcuffed them and tied ropes to their wrists, he led him and the other boy to the bathroom. Once the door closed behind them, the boy spoke up. "So, you cheating, too?" He gave a cheerful face.

Naruto popped his eyes opened as he looked back at the Sentinel. "Don't worry about him. He's just my puppet. These sentinels aren't as eagled eye as everybody thinks."

"A puppet?"

"We can't chitchat for long. Do what you gotta do."

Naruto stepped away farther from the door. Thanks to the handcuffs, he could barely make his fingers to form the seals for two shadow clones. "Shadow clones, huh?" The boy said as he walked to the urinal. "And how exactly will those help?"

Naruto nodded at them, and they seemingly disappeared. "Where'd they go?" The boy asked.

"Look closer."

He flushed, squatted down, and smiled at the two roaches. They climbed onto Naruto's shoe for the lift. "Well, aren't you an interesting fella."

"How are you going to cheat?" Naruto asked.

"Already taken care of," he said as the sentinel grabbed the ropes and began to lead them out. However, Ibiki was staring right at them once they came back to the main room.

"Ah, made it back just in time. I hope you two found your trip to the bathroom enlightening," he said. All of the genin turned around. Naruto almost choked. Where they found out? "Well, take your seat."

Naruto almost let out a big, relieved breath before he and the other boy returned to their seat. Once he was back in his seat, he felt his transformed clones leave so they could scout out the surrounding area. Once they look at the test for enough time, they would make themselves disappear, unless they get slapped away, first. That's why he made three.

However, before any of his roaches could find answers and pop, Ibiki stepped closer to the genin. "Listen here, these rules are unique to question ten, try not to let them frighten you."

They were doing question ten now! Naruto thought he had more time before it!

"Rule number one! Each of you is free to choose not to be given a final question. It's your decision," Ibiki explained.

"Whoa, so what's the catch?" A loud girl questioned. "Let's say we decide we don't want to do it! What happens then?"

"If you choose not to answer the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine, you'll get a zero. You will and your team will fail."

The mass of genin started to chatter, "Of course we'll do it!" Most said.

However, Ibiki grinned. "Not so fast! If you do decide to accept the tenth question and answer is incorrect, you will not only fail, _you will be banned from taking the chunin exams ever again!"_

Naruto eyes widened. Ever again? That definitely doesn't sound fair. "Hey, that's bullshit!' Kiba pointed and shouted. "What kind of bogus rule is that?! There are lots of people here that have taken the test, before!"

Ibiki made a hefty laugh as he glared at Kiba, "I wasn't making the rules before, but I am now. I guess you are just _unlucky."_

At the word unlucky, Naruto thought of Fu and what she had said the other night, about being a bad luck charm. If Naruto learned anything from meeting her, it was that sometimes being lucky and unlucky are sometimes the same thing.

"Those who don't want to take it, raise your hand! Your number will be recorded and you'll be free to go."

Naruto was so preoccupied with the tenth question, he didn't remember _any_ of what his roaches learned. What if the tenth question was a trick question? Or something really simple? This man, Ibiki, has been trying to frighten them since the beginning. What if there's nothing to the tenth question?

Several people raised their hands, their numbers were called and announced they had failed, and they left through the doors.

"So, is this it? These are the teams staying?" Ibiki walked closer and examined the genin. "Well, there's only one thing left to do, and that's for me to tell you," he smiled. "That you all passed the first exam!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. He had tried to intimidate them, but a chunin must need guts. Was that the purpose of the exam?

"Wait a second!" The same loud girl from before spoke up. "So the other nine questions you gave us were just a waste of time!"

"Not at all! Quite the opposite," Ibiki said. "The first nine questions were important, to test you on your ability to gather intelligence."

Naruto ran his hands through his hair. He felt his roaches pop. One had gone over to Sasuke's. He had only answered one question, and from the looks of his face, he was a mess. Apparently, two chunin were planted into the genin mass, and on their exams were all the answers, but the last question was the main point, and how to take on a no-win situation.

As Ibiki was about to wrap up his speech, a woman crashed through the window. She threw kunai to the ceiling, which were tied to a giant cloth to completely hide Ibiki. "Heads up boys and girls!' She shouted. "This is no time to be celebrating! I'll be your next proctor! Anko Mitarashi!"

* * *

The woman led the remaining genin to an outside area, to a forest surrounded by a fence. Naruto peered around to spot those who had passed. Among the dozens of teams, ee saw Deidara with his two teammates, then he noticed the sand genin with Gaara and the boy from the bathroom. Finally, he saw the three leaf teams. Neji's team, and the two teams from his own class.

Naruto looked at Anko as she explained the area. A battle-zone, the "Forest of Death," she called it. Soon enough, they'll find out why. She handed them standard consent forms for them to read and sign, just in case they don't come back. There was a nearby booth to go inside and hand them in.

As the genin handed the forms around, Anko explained what they would be doing in the forest and the point of it. It's to test their survival skills. She gave them a description of the terrain. Aside from a river and the forest, in the center was a locked tower. That's the destination.

It was an any-goes battle to get both a heaven scroll and an earth scroll. Half of the teams will get one and will need the other scroll before they arrive at the tower. So, that meant at _least_ half the teams will fail. There's a limit of five days.

Ways to get disqualified are that if a member becomes incapacitated and unable to continue, the team fails. Also, absolutely do _not_ open the scrolls.

Naruto looked at his team. Sasuke had already signed his, but Sakura was gazing at it. "You okay, Sakura?"

She gripped it, "Five. Days."

"We'll be fine," Sasuke said. "In fact, I bet we can get a scroll and get to the tower in just today."

She gave Sasuke a confident look and signed it. After they took their consent forms to the booth, they were given a heaven scroll, who which Sasuke handed to Naruto. "Place it in your thigh satchel," he said.

A sentry from the last form led them around to an entrance, one of the forty-four of them. They had entrance twelve. He unlocked it and watched his watch until the time mark.

Naruto looked to his side and saw his team's intent. They agreed to dart right in, Naruto in the lead, Sasuke in the back.

"Get going!' The sentry yelled. Naruto sprinted forward. After a few minutes, at the sound of a startled scream, Naruto stopped between a few bushes and trees in a small clearing.

"That was close," Naruto said.

"I think we should keep going and try to get the drop on someone. That scream will attract other enemies," Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded and began to maneuver through the forest. However, he immediately stopped at the sound of… thrashing. "What is that?" Sakura asked.

Quickly, right after the last one broke, the trees were struck down by a massive gust of window, like a tornado that struck through the floor. It missed Sakura and Sasuke, but Naruto was hit directly, and thrown through what felt like a hundred yards through the forest. His back hit a tree, and he stumbled to the ground. Whoever had done that left a scar in the dirt. At least he wouldn't have any troubling finding his way back.

"Naruto, my man, there you are!' Naruto strained his eyes as he looked above. Deidara, and his two teammates. "We've been looking for you, but here you are!"

Naruto swallowed. He wondered what scroll they had, or what scroll they _wanted._ "If you wanted my scroll, my teammate has it," he lied.

"My man, I don't think you understand. I didn't say I was looking for your scroll, I said I was looking for _you."_

He scowled at Deidara. Iwagakure.

"To think, I was about to leave my village, but then my old man Tsuchikage came to me and said," Deidara cuffed his chin, closed his eyes, and arrogantly titled his head up. "My boy, Deidara, how would you like to use your art for the good of the village?!" He said in a fake, deep voice.

Deidara waved his arms around and smiled at Naruto, "And I said, 'Sure! I would love to show my art to the son of the Fourth Hokage! It would be my _honor!_ "

Naruto peered at Deidara's hands. He had tiny little, grey balls between his fingers. Once he let them drop down to Naruto, e pushed his legs from the ground and darted upward, just out of the blast radius. However, the debris smoke covered him entirely.

One of Stone ninjas leaped from the tree, grabbed Naruto, and forced him out of the air. Naruto tried to push him off, but his wrists were pinned to the ground. Deidara walked to stand over him, "And here we see the Fourth's Legacy come to an end! Oh, man, I can't wait until the Tsuchikage hears how easy it was!"

"How shall we kill him, Deidara?" The ninja on top of him said.

"Well, there's one way," Deidara said as he placed his hand on the ninja's neck.

The ninja's eyes popped, Naruto gawked at him. His face and skin lost color and became grey, and as Deidara jumped away, they both blew up.

Deidara laughed, "Wow! Look at that! Man, he blew the fuck up!"

"But, that was our teammate!" The other Stone ninja said.

Deidara calmed down and smiled at the ninja. "And if you tell anyone, I'll do the same to you. It's just a single touch, man."

Shurikens spun as they were shot at Deidara, who ducked under them. He raised his fist at the direction they came from. "Who's there?!" Naruto jumped from other branch and into plain sight. The pissed Deidara relaxed his arm. "So you managed to escape my art. You are Naruto _Namikaze_ , son of the Fourth, the man who killed hundreds of my village's ninja back in the day, so I guess I should have expected that. Man, did I drop the bomb."

"You talk too much," Naruto said. When Naruto was covered by the initial blast radius, he made a shadow clone and hid in the shadows of the woods. This Deidara really killed his own teammate.

Deidara grunted and glared at him. A Naruto clone leaped onto the back of the unnamed Stone ninja and forced him to the ground. With a tight sleeper-hold, he was knocked unconscious.

"Very sneaky, man. You distracted us with your real self while your clone snuck up behind my teammate. Smooth," Deidara said.

Deidara made a crooked smile, "But you're gonna to try much harder than that!" From within his top shirt, he threw dozens of bomb petals at both his clone, his teammate, and him. Naruto managed to get at the edge of the radius, but he was still scorched as the entire area before him got leveled.

As Naruto was about to retreat, his back was bombarded by shurikens. "Gotcha," Deidara said. He was about to succumb to the ground from the pain, but Deidara kneed him in the face and made him fall backward.

Deidara picked him up and forced his neck to the tree, strangling him. Blood dripped from Naruto's nostril. "I thought you would do more after you escaped the first time but I guess not." He grinned as he tightened his grip. "Are you even still awake? Because, I want you to hear what I'm going to do next, man."

He leaned his mouth to Naruto's ear, "I'm going to kill your friends, I'm going to destroy your village, I'm going to blow up everything you love."

Naruto gasped for air. He couldn't fight back. Deidara probably wasn't even a genin, he was much older. Iwagakure must have sent someone at least chunin level to assassinate him.

"And I'll start with that girl you hugged this morning," he whispered in a sharp tone.

Naruto eyes popped open for an orange-red, instead of the usual blue, to look at Deidara. He was taken back but began to tighten both of his hands at Naruto's neck. Naruto grabbed his wrist, pried them away, and kicked him in the gut to knock Deidara to the tree.

"Why did you suddenly get stronger?" He struggled to ask.

Naruto slumped to the ground as he looked at his hands. They looked more like claws, at this point. He felt… energy. He felt a burning sensation on not only his skin but an uproar to protect everyone from this monster.

"Oh," Deidara chuckled, "Did I hurt a sore spot by mentioning that girl?"

Naruto scowled at him.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to pay her a visit right after this exam."

"I'll fucking kill you!"

Naruto rushed at Deidara. Before he could throw that bombs petals at him, Naruto grabbed his and broke his forearm. The petals softly landed on the ground, which let Naruto drag Deidara's face over the surface of the ground, and against a tree.

He was unconscious, face to the roots of the tree. Naruto sat on his back to strangle him like he was about to do to him.

"Naruto!" Sakura's scream echoed through the forest.

Naruto jerked his attention up. He looked at his hands on Deidara's neck before he let his fingers become loose. He checked his satchel for the Earth scroll and ran towards his friends.

It was a long sprint, but once he finally arrived, he saw both Sasuke and Sakura laid motionless on the ground. Over them, a woman stood as she held part of her face. From the headband, he could tell she was a grass ninja.

She smiled as he stood a few yards from him, but she winced and her smile faded. "See you another _time_ , _Naruto."_

He threw a kunai, but the woman completely disappeared, so it carved into a tree. That woman was unsettling. When she had said his name, it was in a man's voice. A familiar one.

He ran and made sure they were breathing. Thankfully, they were. His skin had stopped burning, he felt calmer by the time he summoned a clone to help carry them. As they started to carry them away, he noticed there had been a big battle in this area. Broken branches, scorch marks, weapons everywhere.

* * *

They still had five days, and they already had both scrolls thanks to his fight with Deidara. With luck, they just need some rest. It had begun to get dark, so Naruto hurried to find them a spot to sleep.

A few hours later, Sakura sat straight up and made a slight scream. Naruto hurried and place his over over her mouth to muffle her scream. "Sakura! It's okay, you're fine!"

She gazed at him as she calmed down, and he slowly took his hand away. he looked around and saw they were by the river, by a rock that and a few trees. The only way for them to be seen would be if they were swimming in the river.

She took a deep breath. "Thank god you rescued us."

He gave a curious look. "Rescue? You both were unconscious, and the woman looked badly beat by the time I got there."

"She was? Sasuke was-" she looked at him before she quieted down. "He.. he was so afraid. I tried to intervene, but the woman - she, she - I don't even know. She said something about testing him."

"We'll have to wait until he wakes up."

"Naruto?"

He kept his glance on her, but she looked at her legs. "I said something pretty mean to Sasuke. I compared him to you. You would have fought even if you were scared."

"Oh," he rubbed his neck. "He'll be fine. We all know he's the better fighter."

She gave him a worried look before she got closer, "What happened? There are two cuts on your face."

Cuts? He wasn't cut at all. Just blown up a few times. "Where?"

"On both sides. They're symmetrical, actually."

He rubbed his face and felt two small lines. They didn't feel like cuts. In fact, something so little should have healed quickly for him. "Don't remember being cut, but I ran into the Stone ninjas. They were sent to kill me."

"What?!" Nearby birds scattered from the tree. "Crap, sorry," she whispered. "But are you okay? Are they still around?"

Naruto peered to the ground, "Deidara, he.. Killed both his teammates trying to kill me."

"He killed his teammates?" Sakura shook her head. "That's cruel. I can't believe that. What kind of person would do that to their own teammates?"

"Then he threatened to kill you two, then told me he was going to kill Fu and blow up the entire village. I- I got angry. I was about to kill him." He combed his fingers into his hair and grabbed it. "I was about to kill him, even though he was unconscious. I think I would have if I didn't hear you scream for me."

Sakura rubbed his shoulder, "Hey, come on. You didn't stoop to his level, that makes you a better person than he is. He killed his comrades, you came to save us! That's the opposite!"

He brought this hands to his eyes and rubbed them dry. He wanted to say that he didn't care about stooping to his level. He remembered back to Haku's words at the bridge, and what she had said. Sometimes, it's necessary to kill for a better future.

What if this is one of those times? What if because he didn't kill Deidara, now those precious to him are at stake? But, how could he kill someone that was so helpless at the time? What was that anger that almost compelled him to do so? When Deidara threatened everyone, he felt anger leak out of his body. It was powerful, like a drug.

He looked to the river. and saw the moon reflected off it. "Are you ever scared of the Nine-Tails?"

"What? Of course, not. Your dad put a really exquisite seal on it, right?" She asked. Naruto nodded back. "Then, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Naruto nodded, "Thanks, Sakura."

"You know you can always talk to me," she smiled.

Sasuke's breathing started to go rampant, which made both of them rotate their heads to him. "Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

His breath wasn't only fast, they were breaths of pain, breaths that were desperate for air. They both came closer, Sakura checked his forehead. "He doesn't have a fever- wait, Naruto? What's this on his neck?"

Naruto looked over and saw something on like a tattoo of three tomoes. "Since when did he have a tattoo?"

Sakura shook her head, "Unless he had gotten after the first exam, he didn't. It looks more like a seal."

"Do you think it came from that snake lady?"

Sasuke reached up and aggressively grabbed Naruto's mesh shirt, "Naruto," he muttered as he glared at him.

With afraid eyes, Naruto gazed back at Sasuke as his eyes turned red, and seals sprouted from the mark on his neck.

"Sasuke!" Sakura said as she tried to release his grasp on Naruto's shirt. "Just what are you doing?!"

Sasuke let go and let Naruto fall on his butt. He made no remark, only kept his gaze at Sasuke as he passed out, and the sprouted seals return to the mark.

Sakura made a heavy breath before she whispered. "Just what are we going to do? We still don't have an Earth scroll."

Naruto smiled, "Remember those Iwa ninjas I fought?"

Sakura furrowed an eyebrow at him, "What about them?"

Naruto reached into his satchel and brought out both of the scrolls. "We'll head to the tower in the morning."

Sakura gazed at them before she made a soft laugh and looked at Sasuke. "I don't think Sasuke is going to like that."

Naruto smiled, but at a sudden pinch, he smacked his neck. It felt like he was just bitten by a bug. As he pulled his hand away, he saw a beetle on his wrist.

* * *

 **I'm gonna summarise the preliminary rounds. There are not any sound-ninja or Kabuto's team in the exam aside from Orochimaru's team when they're disguised at Leaf. So, that means different pairings in some of the rounds. Still, I'll summarise them. I don't necessarily write to show fight scenes, but rather a story, and having to write several fights at a time will make me write slower. However, who will make it to the final may surprise you.**

 **If you read the original, Deidara was in it. I love how I wrote him in this story. There's no Akatsuki in this story. Why Orochimaru wants Sasuke specifically will come. Lemme know how I did and what I can imrove on!**


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